The Boy Who Proved Her Wrong
by prehistoric-huntress
Summary: Thalia's life isn't the easiest life. She's got a lot of problems to deal with, but she does it pretty well because she's blocked herself off from everyone. Except someone unexpected comes barging in and shows her something she hasn't experienced in the longest time. And things will change. And maybe for the best.
1. Glade Candles

**1. Glade Candles**

She was walking down the sidewalk, minding her own business, listening to her favorite band; Green Day. The world didn't exist at that moment and that's how she liked it. She stared blankly at the floor as she walked in front of buildings, paying close attention to the lyrics she related her messed up life to. She would glance up every once and while. She'd see love sick couples, holding hands, sticking their tongues down each other throats. She scoffed. She wasn't one to fall in love. She couldn't even find a boy worth her time. And anyways, love doesn't exist. If it did, her life wouldn't be so screwed up. Her mother would smile when she saw her and give her a hug. Her dad wouldn't have left her. She'd have friends. But no, love mustn't exist, because no one around her ever showed it.

She walked by a park and raised the volume of her music to ignore the constant barking of the little dogs who figured they could take on a dragon. She stopped next to a bench and stared at her ipod with her blazing blue eyes. Her least favorite song had come up on shuffle and she didn't even know why she still kept it. She was so engrossed in her ipod, looking for the right song, that she didn't hear the yell of a boy. A second later, she felt something hit the back of her head and she stumbled forward. She fell on her knees as she shook her head. She saw things double and standing in front of her, were some boys.

Her vision eventually cleared and she stood corrected. It was just one boy. He was tall. He had a mop of unruly black hair and deep green eyes.

"I am so sorry," he said, as he extended his hand to help her up. She swatted it away and stood up on her own. She pulled out her earphones and narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"I tried to warn you, but I guess you didn't hear me," he said, gesturing towards the earphones she held in her hands.

"Whatever," she mumbled as she began to walk away.

"Wait," the boy said, grabbing hold of her arm. She snapped her head towards him, clearly not happy of the physical contact. She pulled her arm free and the boy raised his hands in surrender.

"Let me at least make it up to you," he said. She just laughed.

"No thanks. I think I'm good," she said. She gave a lazy solute and left. Why did guys always think they could sweet talk any girl? She went out of her way to dress up extra "bad" to scare them off, since she wanted nothing to do with them. Boys usually steered clear of a girl wearing combat boots and heavy eye liner. And it wasn't like she needed them anyways. She could very well live without them. She played her music again and made her way up some stairs in a building only a few blocks away from the park. She pulled out her keys and threw the door open. The stench of cigarettes hit her nose and she wanted to gag. She called out for her mom, but she wasn't home. Figures.

As she made her way to her room, she opened every window the apartment had. She always had a small stash of glade candles and she lit one up in every room, filling the apartment with the sweet smell of lavender and vanilla. She grabbed the broom and swept up all the cigarette ashes and cigarettes buds, along with bottle tops and beer cans. She didn't even care about her mother anymore.

Every night, she saw her mother kill herself more and more with every bottle of wine, every beer can and every cigarette. She'd tried day after day to get her to stop, but her mom had made it clear she wasn't giving it up any time soon. _Fine_ she thought. _Kill yourself for all I care_.

After her daily duties of picking up after her mother were done, she kicked off her boots, pulled off her jacket and slumped into the couch, pulling her feet up onto the coffee table. She grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels for something even remotely interesting, but there was nothing. So, she closed her eyes and clicked on a random channel. A stupid romantic movie came on, The Notebook. So full of love it made her want to hurl. She shut the TV off and chucked the remote. As it hit the other couch, she stretched out and lay down, her body melting into the sofa. She plugged in her headphones, blasted the music, placed her arms under head and closed her eyes. Letting all her anger just drown out with her music.

Thalia jumped up as she heard the faint sound of a slamming door through her headphones. She pulled them off and heard the fridge open and close. She stood up and walked towards the kitchen to see her mother sitting at the small island with a beer can in her hand. She popped it open and started chugging it down, ignoring the fact her daughter was only a few feet away from her. Thalia looked at her mother. The mascara of her left eye was across her cheek and she was wearing a skimpy light pink dress with a black leather jacket covering the girly lace in the front. Her black hair was pulled up into the messiest bun ever and her lipstick was smeared.

"Mom?" Thalia called softly, but her mother made no notice of her.

"Mom," Thalia called again, a little firmer. Her mother snapped her eyes at her.

"Look at that hair," she said, a look of disgust in her eyes as she looked at the messy black hair on Thalia's head. "I should cut it all off. See if you can take care of it better when you don't have it." Anger boiled inside Thalia's stomach, but instead of lashing out at her mother like most kids did, she slipped her boots on, grabbed her headphones and left the apartment.

* * *

Please tell me what you guys think of it and if it gets good enough feedback, I'll continue it :) Thanks.


	2. Player 1 & Player 2

**2. Player 1 & Player 2**

She walked down the sidewalk with her hands shoved into her front pockets. She could feel the anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. Why was her mother like that? Oh yeah, because her deadbeat father left them. She sighed and chewed on her lip, as her eyes searched for something to do, something to waste her time with. It was only 12 o'clock.

She walked down the street and her eyes wandered over the buildings and they landed on a small arcade tucked between two tall buildings. She checked her pocket and sighed in relief when she realized her wallet was still there. She walked towards the arcade, little and blue with a neon sign saying "Fun & Games" hanging at the top of two glass doors with a sign that said 'PULL'. So, she did. The entire arcade was carpeted with a black rug that had planets spreading all across it. Machines and games were scattered all over the room in a chaotic organized way. On one side, the little arcade branched off into a non-carpeted tiled floor with tables and such, and across from the tables was a yellow and red counter selling food and drinks. There were about thirty people in total inside the arcade. There was a group of boys playing an Alien vs Predator game. There was a girl playing a racing game, a bunch of kids playing on Dance Dance Revolution and a couple eating pizza. It seemed completely normal.

She walked towards a little coin machine and fed it a five dollar bill and received twenty coins in return. She shook them in her hand and then poured them into her back pocket. She strolled around the arcade, looking for a game she thought good enough. And she stayed there, for about an hour playing shooting games and racing games and games that had no plot and games she thought were stupid but played them anyways. She was actually enjoying herself, even if she was alone.

She came across the racing game she had seen a girl playing earlier when she had walked in. It was two tokens. She reached for her coin stash but she only had one because one game had cost her three tokens, leaving her with just one awkward one.

"Damn," she breathed, as she spun the coin over her knuckles.

"Need a coin?" someone said behind her, pulling a hand around with another token pinched between their fingers. She turned around to see the same boy from the park.

"You again?" she blurted out, not really caring she was being rude. The boy shrugged.

"I guess so," he said, pulling out another two coins from his pocket and sitting down into the seat for the racing game. "So, you wanna play or not?" he said, handing her the coin. Thalia thought about it. Should she accept the friendly invitation or steer clear of it? She looked at her watch and the single gold token. She had plenty of time to spare, so why not. She decided to go for it.

"What the hell," she said as she snatched the coin from his hand and slumped into the other seat. She stuck them through the slot and the machine whirred up for a new game. She chose a red Mustang and the boy next to her chose a jeep. The boy looked at her.

"Ready to lose?" he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"You wish," she said, as she revved her car. The woman on the screen, in that totally slutty outfit, swung the flag and the race began. She slammed her foot on the false gas pedal and her car zoomed off. The whole time, they were toe to toe. Player 1 ahead, played 2 ahead, player 1 ahead… But Thalia had a trick up her sleeve.

"Hey, are you hungry?" she asked, smiling at the huge cliché she was about to spill out. She hadn't ever used it before and she was just dying to.

"A little, why?" Thalia smiled.

"Because you're about to eat my dust," she said as she tapped the gas twice and her car sped off and crossed the finish line in second place as his came in fourth. Thalia let go a laugh and turned to the boy.

"Maybe next time stud," she said, as she stood up and started leaving, since she was fresh out of coins. She was already by the door when the boy came up next to her.

"Hey, what's the rush?" he asked, as they both walked out of the arcade. Thalia didn't answer because she really didn't feel like it. She gave him some of her time already and she was done.

"You know, I've seen you twice in one day and I don't even know your name," he said, when he realized she wasn't going to answer him. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and debated whether or not she should tell him.

"You first," she said, as she kept her eyes in front of her.

"I asked you first," he said.

"Um, no. You stated a fact," she said, raising her eyebrow.

"Okay, touché. I'm Percy. Now it's your turn," he said, casting a sideways glance at her. But as she had predicted, she was already standing next to her building. Without saying another word, she walked up the stairs.

"Hey wait! I don't know your name!" Percy said, as he ran up a few steps. Thalia turned and looked at him.

"I know," she said.

"Are you going to tell me?" Percy asked, desperate to know her name. Thalia smiled, but it wasn't the "you're so cute" kind of smile. It was the smile that said "oh, you just don't get the point, do you".

"See ya," she said, as she opened the doors and walked inside. She bounded up the stairs and into the apartment. The island where her mother had been sitting at when she left had about three beer cans on it. Thalia set her headphones down and cleaned up the cans, throwing them into the trash can. She walked down the hall to reach her bedroom when she heard a crash. It sounded like something metal and ceramic clashed together. Without hesitating, she ran towards the sound which had come from her mother's bathroom. The door was locked, but she heard another crash and the sound of someone moaning. Thalia grasped the doorknob and pounded the door with her shoulder. She kicked it and punched it until one of the rusty hinges finally broke off. The door slanted forward and she climbed through the small opening.

The water was running and the shower curtain was bundled up on the floor. Lying on top of the shower curtain was Thalia's naked and passed out mother. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her mother. Her mother moaned, but she didn't wake up. Thalia picked her up, throwing one of her wet arms across her shoulders and pulled her out of the bathroom. She set her down on the bed and tapped her lightly on the cheek. Her mother didn't respond, but after a slightly harder tap on the cheek, she woke up.

"Mom, what happened?" Thalia asked, taking a hand towel and wiping away a little bit of blood from her mother's brow.

"I- I can't remember," her mother muttered, snatching the hand towel from Thalia's hand and drying her face. "What are you doing here? I thought you left," she snapped.

"I live here too, you know," Thalia shot back. Her mother huffed, jumping off the bed and left for her closet. Thalia stomped out of the room. _That's what I get for trying to help you? Fine, whatever. I don't care._

* * *

Thanks For The Reviews:  
- Writer'sWings  
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And also, thanks for the favorites and alerts :) I also want to mention that this story is not like those drama/love stories, although, yes it does include romance. I know no one said anything about that, but I just wanted to make that clear, just in case! Please, let me know what you guys think about this chapter and don't hesitate to review :P Lend me your thougts and I promise I'll give them back! lol, thanks and I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)


	3. Babysitters

**3. Babysitters**

She lay down in her bed, listening to her Green Day CD. She wasn't wearing her boots or her goth clothes anymore. She looked like a different person; wearing red basketball shorts, a black tank, bright yellow socks and no liner whatsoever. She laid right in the middle of her bed, her legs crossed and her arms under her head. Her foot twitched with the rhythm of the song playing and for that moment, she was happy; liberated from her worries and responsibilities. All the things she had to bear because her mother was too out of it to even care. She cherished these few moments she had to herself.

Through her locked door and blaring music, she heard a muffled "I'm out, don't wait up" that sounded just like her mother. Thalia squeezed her eyes shut, ignoring the fact her mother was leaving her once again; most likely for some guy she just met. Thalia grabbed her other pillow and pulled it onto her face. She sighed into it, smelling the scent of her shampoo. She then jumped off the bed and sat at her windowsill. Her Saturday was quickly fading away behind the buildings, casting pink, red and orange rays across New York. She turned her music off and gazed through the firescape.

Her senior year was almost over. She had missed out on all the senior activities, which she didn't care much about anyways. She didn't want any memories from her school. She just wanted to graduate and get it over with. She pressed against the cold glass and just breathed, fogging it up and then drawing little figures in it, like cats sitting on the rails or bats hanging upside down from the stairs.

Her phone rang and she ran towards it, not hoping it was a friend (if she had any), but another opportunity to earn some cash. Her mother didn't work, she'd been fired from everything and everywhere, and it was only Thalia's extra cash that kept them afloat.

"Hello?" she answered, dropping herself on her bed.

"_Is this Thalia?_" a voice on the other line asked.

"Yep, this is she," she answered, lying on her back.

"_This is Sally Jackson. I saw your little babysitter add and I was hoping you could come by tonight around 8 o'clock and take care of my two boys,_" the woman, named Sally, asked.

"_MOM!_" a voice yelled in the background. Thalia chuckled. So many times parents have asked her to babysit kids who didn't want or need them.

"Sure, just give me the address," Thalia said, trying to contain the urge to laugh. Sally recited the address like she'd done it a million times before, thanked her a million times and hung up. It was about 6 o'clock, so Thalia took her time to rummage through her closet for something decent. She ended up pulling out a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, kept her black tank and slipped on her pair of ankle boots. She pulled on a studded belt and slipped on her thick black leather bracelets. She didn't put liner on, because she didn't want to give the parents a bad impression the first time she met them.

She walked into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She looked in the mirror. _Good enough_. By now, it was 7 o'clock. She grabbed her bag and a poptart as she ran out the door and down the stairs. She walked down the sidewalk, past the little park and walked towards the fifth building on the left. The sun was now completely submerged behind the horizon and the only light she had to find the building were yellow street lights. Thalia bit her lip. She was always a little nervous when she was going to be a babysitter to a new kid. What if they didn't like her? What if they liked her too much? Thalia shook her head and sighed. _It doesn't matter. I just need this money._ She walked up the steps to the front double doors of the building and pulled out a post-it note from her pocket. She pressed a button and after a few seconds, a woman's voice came on the line.

"Thalia?" the woman called.

"Yeah!" Thalia said into the microphone. Without another word, there was a loud buzz and Thalia pulled the door open. She walked up to the third floor and walked down the hall looking for the apartment number she had been given. After a few turns, she finally found the door number she'd been looking for; 367. Thalia softly knocked on the door and not another second passed by when it swung open. A woman, a few inches taller than Thalia stood before her. She had long brown hair with bright blue eyes. She was wearing a short black dress and a green necklace.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully, a smile spread across her face. "I'm so glad you could make it. I'm so sorry I called at the last minute, but every other person was busy!" she explained.

"It's okay Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. Sally smiled.

"Oh goodness no! Call me Sally!" Sally said. "Here, come on in," she said, stepping aside to let Thalia walk in. The apartment was nice and simple. It smelled of chocolates and candy, with nice furniture placed around. Light blue curtains hung from every window and there was a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It was simple, but yet very elegant. Thalia turned back her gaze on Sally.

"Okay, my boys don't really need a babysitter, but they can be so reckless I need someone to keep an eye on them while I go out. One is seventeen, the other is fifteen. Oh! Here's one now!" Sally said, as she looked behind Thalia. Thalia whirled around and her jaw dropped when she saw a boy with unruly black hair and bright green eyes.

* * *

Thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed this story and extra thanks to the ones who favorited me as an author. It really means a lot :) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! If not, then tell me why, but don't be mean! And don't hesitate to review. And I know this chapter was a little shorter than the last two, but oh well, sorry about that. Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Twister Disasters

**4. Twister Disasters**

"No—"

"Way," Percy finished. Sally took a step forward.

"You two know each other?" she asked, looking between us.

"No," Thalia said.

"Yes!" Percy countered. Sally creased her eyebrows in confusion.

"Well, technically we don't, but we've met," Percy corrected, smiling evilly at Thalia. Thalia rolled her eyes. Sally looked at her watch and gasped.

"Oh dear! I'm going to be late!" she gasped. "We'll talk about your pay when I get back around… 10 –ish," Sally said, as she ran out the door, leaving Thalia and Percy in silence.

"So—"

"Uh-uh," Thalia interrupted quickly raising her hand. She walked towards the living room and sat down. She pulled out her Nintendo; her now-deceased uncle had given her and started to play. In silence, Percy walked around the couch and sat down on the other end. He looked at her and she tried to ignore him; pretend he wasn't there. Minutes passed by, until Thalia exploded.

"What?!" she said, looking at Percy.

"You're a babysitter?" Percy chuckled. Thalia raised her eyebrow and leaned towards him.

"Yeah. Yours, remember?" she said. That comment wiped the smile off his face. Thalia chuckled and started playing her game again.

"Okay, fair enough," he said, pulling his feet up on an ottoman. "So, you're Thalia?"

Thalia sighed. "Yes."

"Well, now I know your name," Percy said cockily.

"And all because your mother doesn't trust you enough to leave you at the house alone," Thalia looked at him, "at seventeen."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows at her and Thalia lifted her eyebrows in triumph. He huffed and picked up the remote. He flipped through the channels, not staying on one longer than thirty seconds. Thalia managed to ignore the constant flipping of channels for about three minutes. She was about to say something when another kid came storming into the living.

"Percy! You left me alone to—" he stopped when he saw Thalia sitting on the couch. He then turned his gaze on Percy.

"You didn't tell me you were gonna have a date over!" he said, crossing his arms. Thalia quickly said something, before Percy could say something and make the situation worse.

"I am not his date. I'm your babysitter," she said, standing up to face him. He had big brown eyes and long jet black hair, like Percy's. He wasn't extremely tall. He was probably a few inches shorter than Percy; meaning he was about Thalia's height. He wore black clothing that gave Thalia some hope he wasn't as bothersome as his brother.

"I don't need a babysitter!" he said defensively. Thalia guessed he was Percy's age or only a few years younger, which would explain the fact he's so shocked at the idea of having a babysitter.

"Well, your mother thought otherwise. What's your name?" Thalia asked, crossing her arms and studying him more closely.

"Nico. You?" he asked, giving the same look back at Thalia.

"Thalia," she said. Percy stood up and finally contributed to the conversation, though Thalia had wished he never opened his mouth.

"She's the girl I beat in the car race today," he said, sending Thalia a cocky smile. Thalia scoffed.

"You wish you did," she said, turning around and sitting down again. "Just sit tight and don't make a fuss kids. I'll be out of your hair when your mom comes," Thalia said, as she picked up her Nintendo and started playing.

"Nico, since Thalia is new to our apartment, I think we should give her the test," Percy said evilly. Thalia raised an eyebrow, but she didn't say anything. She figured if she ignored them, they would go away. But no, they were like big dogs who wanted to play.

"Oh yeah Percy, we should," Nico said, catching on to Percy's train of thought. She heard his footsteps disappear and then reappear a minute later. Thalia heard sounds like someone shaking a Christmas present and trying to figure out what it was without opening it. Thalia dared to turn around and Nico stood there, holding a box for Twister.

"No way. Uh-uh. If you guys want to play, go ahead. But there is no way in hell I'm playing that," Thalia said, shaking her head and turning her attention back to her game. Percy and Nico laughed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Thalia was cursing herself a million times silently.

"Left hand blue!" Nico said cheerfully. Thalia looked and realized the only way to reach that blasted blue circle, was to climb over Percy.

"Hell no!" she said, shaking her head. Percy laughed and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Come on Thalia, I won't bite…" Percy said. "Much." Thalia glared at him, but she knew if she didn't do it, they would hover around her like mosquitoes and invade her personal space. Somehow, kicking their ass at a game was better than that. As she moved her hand, Nico yelled out another order. Now, she had to put one arm and one leg over Percy.

She slowly shifted, until her body was hovering inches away from his. She looked up to see Percy's deep sea green eyes staring at her jokingly.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Thalia said annoyingly. Percy shrugged, as well as someone could with both hands planted on the ground. Nico yelled another order, that seemed almost impossible to complete, but she tried it anyways. Percy moved to find the color, knocking her foot from under her, which made her fall on him. Bad thing: she was lying on top of a boy she found incredibly annoying. Good thing: Neither of them won, so he couldn't gloat. Thalia quickly rolled off. Percy and Nico were laughing, apparently enjoying the little incident.

"When your mother comes, I will say so many bad things about you, you'll be sure to get punished," Thalia said smugly. Nico and Percy looked at her in shock.

"You wouldn't!" Percy said.

"I would," Thalia said with an evil smile.

"Fine," Percy grumbled.

"My turn," Thalia said, as she reached for the spinner. Nico handed it to her and both him and Percy positioned themselves at both ends of the mat, ready to begin. Now, Thalia always played honest with games. But these two were an exception. Every time she spun the wheel, she'd use her middle finger to slowly make the arrow point to a square that made the game that much harder. Thalia laughed loud on the inside, as the boys struggled helplessly to beat the other.

"Left foot yellow circle," Thalia called. Their eyes widened.

"Could you… spin it again?" Percy pleaded. Thalia shook her head. They both sighed and slowly tried to reach the circles. Their legs and arms shaking as they tried not to fall. Thalia bit her lip as she waited for the disaster. And then it happened. Nico tripped over Percy's foot and fell forward, grabbing a cloth that hung over a small table, dragging it down with him. Sadly, on top of that table, was a lamp. The lamp flew over the edge, landing on the back of Nico's head. Percy laughed, but the cord of the lamp snaked along the floor behind him. It pulled and snapped against his wrist, making him collapse right on his head.

Both boys rolled on the floor rubbing their hurt heads. Thalia couldn't contain herself anymore. She burst out laughing, and the boys, instead of being angry, joined the laughter.

"You guys looked like such idiots!" Thalia laughed. She clutched her stomach and for the first time, she was actually happy. Sure, they were both annoying, but their mistakes were good enough for America's Funniest Home Videos. Thalia tried to catch her breath. But silence immediately fell over them when they heard keys jingling against the lock.

"Shit! Pick it up!" Thalia hissed. The boys picked up the lamp and tried to arrange it back onto the table, as the door opened. Sally walked in, a smile fresh on her face. They jumped onto the Twister mat and tried to act normal, as Thalia called out a fake command.

"Aw, how sweet! I'm glad you guys got along!" Sally said, as she set her purse down and dropped her keys into a small dish on the kitchen counter. We smiled.

"Come on Thalia," Sally called, as she walked into the kitchen. Thalia walked in behind her and they spoke about her pay and if it was possible she could come again whenever needed. Thalia eagerly accepted, although she wasn't crazy about the boys. Sally gave her the money and she left the apartment. She was about to walk down the stairs when Percy called her to stop. Thalia reluctantly did and looked at him.

"Hey," he said, as he stopped in front of her.

"Hey," Thalia replied. Her voice sounded expectant, like she was implying "get it over with, I don't have all day."

"Would you like to go out… with me? Sometime?" he asked sort of nervously. Thalia didn't even think about it.

"I'm just your babysitter Percy," she said, before she bounced down the stairs and out the door.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews: Okay, I didn't think so many people would be reviewing (which I'm really grateful for), so this is the last time I'll be doing this, lol thanks :P  
- combinemanc  
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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and if you didn't, tell me why (also tell me what you liked, so I can add more of that to the story). Reviews are still appreciated :) And thanks to all the favorites and alerts! They mean a lot :)


	5. Get Some Sleep

**5. Get Some Sleep**

She hadn't meant to be so cold, but she wasn't going to give him her soft side. She had tried to turn quickly to not see disappointment in his eyes, but she was too slow and she saw it anyways. She felt the barest trace of feeling bad about it, which she shouldn't because he was just some boy. Nothing special. But yet, something inside her made her feel guilty anyways. She shook it off. _He is just a kid I babysit for. _She didn't even like him. He was annoying, obnoxious and cocky. All the qualities she hated. She would smack him, but she had too many "manners" to do so.

She slowly made her way back to her own apartment. It was pitch black outside, besides the street lights. She took slow motion steps as she stared at the stars above her. She would lose her balance every once and a while, because she wasn't paying attention to where her feet were landing. The stars sparkled beautifully and the moon... Wow, the moon was breathtaking. Thalia loved to stare at the sky. It comforted her, even if she couldn't stand ever looking down because she was so scared of heights. When she was passing the park, she just picked a section of grass and laid down. She plugged in her headphones and blasted her music.

She could've stayed that way forever, listening to her favorite music and watching the sky, but when she glanced at her watch it was almost midnight.

"Shit," she whispered as she jumped up and headed towards her aparment. She bounded up the stairs and she was about to grab the doorknob when she realized the door was already cracked open. Thalia hesitated, not sure if her mother had just forgotten to close the door or…

There was a cry inside the apartment and without checking for danger or calling for help, Thalia burst through the door. Her mother was on the floor, the sleeve of her shirt torn. She was sobbing, but otherwise, she wasn't moving much. She had blood trickling from her lips and her hair was a mess. Standing over her was a man, dressed in casual clothes with a gun in his hand.

"Hey!" Thalia yelled, but when the man looked at her, she wished she hadn't said a word. He pointed the gun at her. Thalia gasped and jumped to the side, rolling behind the island of the kitchen. The man started to head towards the door, but her mother called for him.

"John, please…" she sobbed as she softly tried to prop herself up on her arms. The man, John, spun and pointed the gun at her.

"NO!" Thalia yelled, as she grabbed his arm and pulled it up, firing the gun towards the ceiling instead. Small pieces from the ceiling fell on them, and got into Thalia's eyes. She blinked, trying to get rid of the irritation. But before she could see well, he punched Thalia on the side of her face and then kicked her down. Thalia fell against the hard floor, trying to catch herself with her hands. She turned to the man, heard a loud pop and suddenly it all went dark.

* * *

When Thalia opened her eyes again, she was lying down inside a white room, with beeping sounds. She tried to sit up, but pain shot up her side.

"Whoa, relax," someone said as they grabbed her arm and lay her down again. She fell back against her pillow again moaning from the throbbing pain that was travelling up and down her side.

"Where am I?" she asked, a little dazed as her eyes darted around the room.

"The hospital," a boy's voice answered. Thalia weakly turned her head to see who had answered, and she saw a familiar face.

"Percy?" she whispered, squinting her eyes at him because her vision was still a little blurry. Percy smiled. He was sitting in a small chair next to the bed.

"Yeah," he said. He bit his lip.

"What are you doing here?" Thalia asked, wondering how he would've known she was at a hospital.

"I'm here for you," he said, lifting his hand and revealing a small bouquet of flowers.

"Can't seem to get rid of you, huh?" Thalia said, shifting in her bed.

"Guess not," he said with a smile.

"How did you know I was here?"

"When the paramedics found you and your mom, they couldn't find any relatives. They found our phone number in your pocket and well, called us. Mom is outside talking to the doctor right now," he said, walking over and setting the bouquet on the little white table at the foot of the bed.

"What about my mom?" Thalia asked, taking a quick glance towards the closed door.

"She has a few bruises and a broken wrist and a little bit of drugs in her system, but otherwise fine," he said, as he sat back down. Thalia closed her eyes. She didn't feel too sorry for her mother. She was high on drugs and destroying her life, this was no surprise. But how could her mother be so stupid? The door opened and a tall man, who looked about thirty with brown cropped but messy hair walked in.

"Good evening Thalia. I'm Dr. Higgins," he said with a warm smile. He wore a white jacket with a blue shirt inside and he was holding a clipboard.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Completely fine," Thalia lied. Her side was throbbing and she wanted to dig her nails into the mattress and rip it apart. She was also angry. Because of her mother's big screw-up, she'd almost lost her life.

"I would like to keep you overnight, just to make sure you're okay and you can be released early in the morning tomorrow," he said. Thalia nodded. He was about to turn around and leave, but Thalia called him.

"Doctor?"

"Yes Thalia?"

"What exactly happened?" she asked. She bit her lip. She wanted to know what happened, because her own memories were a little fuzzy. She was also afraid to know. She had almost lost her life, she knew that much. Dr. Higgins sat in a chair on the other side and crossed his legs.

"We're not 100% sure what happened, but I will tell you what I know. What your mother, Ms. Grace, has told us is that she met someone in a bar and invited him over to her apartment. Once there, she said he pulled a gun and beat her when she refused to reveal to him where her money and jewelry was. We believe he shot you as well. He didn't do too much damage," he said, but Thalia knew there was something he wasn't saying.

"Define too much damage," Thalia said firmly. Dr. Higgins hesitated, but then relented.

"It grazed one of your lungs," he said. Thalia caught her breath. She knew how dangerous it was when a bullet just barely scrapes your vital organs. Her hand instinctively crawled up to her chest and she held it, like that would fix the wounds.

"Will I be okay?" she whispered.

"I will be certain of it in the morning," he said, standing up and fixing the hems of his jacket that had folded up.

"Just relax and get some sleep," he said, before he left the room.

"You'll be okay," Percy said. He'd been sitting quietly in the other chair since Dr. Higgins had walked in. Thalia had almost forgotten he was there.

"Sure," Thalia said sarcastically, though she didn't doubt him much. If she was okay now from something like that, she should be okay the rest of the night. "You should go home."

"Sure," Percy replied in her same sarcastic tone. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and raised an eyebrow. He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back.

"You should get some sleep," he said, as he let his head fall loose in his hands.

* * *

Thanks to the people who reviewed, alerted and favorited this story :) I hope you guys liked this chapter, and if you didn't, tell me why! And if you did, tell me why! lol :)

Okay guys, quick note: _**please read**_

I would never mention another author if I didn't think they were talented authors. But **Writer'sWings** is one of those very talented writers. I encourage you guys to check out her story **Like Moon and Tide**. It's really good and, I, myself am I fan of it. Please check it out and review her story!


	6. Son of the President

**6. Son of the President**

When she opened her eyes, she was still in the hospital. She sighed. She had hoped it was all just a dream, or nightmare in her case. But it wasn't and feeling the IV that had been jammed into her hand made it more real. Then she realized, if it wasn't a dream that would mean- but he wasn't there.

"Figures," she mumbled, as she shifted in her bed, pulling at the flimsy paper dress they had her in. She hated it. It was too loose and too drafty. She needed her clothes. The door opened, but instead of the doctor, it was Percy. To put it plainly, Thalia was confused.

"You stayed here?" she asked surprised. Very seldom did someone actually stick with her, especially someone who barely knew her.

"Of course," he said, setting the tray he had been holding on a little white table. "Breakfast in bed mademoiselle," he said, as he pulled the table closer to her. She sat up and looked at the food in surprise.

"Don't call me that," she said, but Percy just ignored her and sat down in the chair. She looked at the tray. There was a glass of orange juice with pancakes covered in syrup and French toast. The smell filled her nostrils and she couldn't wait to dig in. She was simply famished. She hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to say _thanks_," Percy said sarcastically as he stared in horror as Thalia quickly devoured the French toast in a total of two bites. "That just can't be possible," he said, as Thalia embarrassedly cleaned off the sugar powder from her cheeks.

"Sorry," she mumbled with her mouth full.

"No, no, please, continue," Percy chuckled. As Thalia ate her pancakes she kept glancing at him, wondering what he wanted. No one stayed around and brought you breakfast without asking for something in return.

"I thought hospitals had crappy food," she said, taking a mouthful of pancakes.

"Ah… you see, I never told you, but I'm the son of the president, and no son of the president gets crappy hospital food," Percy said. Thalia actually laughed and her eyes widened at the sound coming out of her mouth. No way. She didn't actually just laugh at his lame joke, did she? To ignore what had just happened, she stuffed her mouth again with another forkful of pancakes.

"So, why'd you stay?" Thalia asked, swallowing the last of her pancakes. Percy looked almost confused by the question.

"Why wouldn't I?" he replied. Thalia looked at him. She was about to say something when Sally walked in.

"Oh honey! I am so glad you're okay!" she said, as she walked over and wrapped her up in a hug. Thalia didn't hug her back, mostly because she wasn't used to it. She couldn't even remember the last person she had hugged.

"Thank you Mrs.— Sorry, Sally," Thalia said, forcing a smile.

"That's better!" she said, as she sat down in the other chair where the doctor had sat the night before. Thalia spent the next fifteen minutes trying to avoid and not answer questions Sally was throwing her way.

"What school do you go to?" (thankfully, Percy and her didn't go to the same school, which she was relieved about)

"Where's your dad?" (Thalia gritted her teeth and politely said he "wasn't in the picture anymore" and refused to give any more details about how rotten her dad really was)

"Do you have any siblings?" (easy answer: thank god no)

"What's your favorite subject at school?" (Thalia knew what she would've answered in the past, but she had given it up years ago, so she just said Greek)

Suddenly, the doctor, Mr. Higgins, walked in.

"Good morning Thalia, you seem a lot better today. Do you feel better?" he asked, giving her a warm smile.

"Like I could run a marathon," she replied, which was true. She felt a thousand times better than last night. Okay, maybe that's exaggerating it a little bit, but she did feel better. Then, the doctor instructed her on the things she shouldn't do for a few weeks and things she should do and if anything else occurs to come to the hospital immediately. Thalia reluctantly accepted it. She hated living the way others told her to, even if it was for her own good.

"Well, your mother is signing you out. The nurse will come in then, and give you your things and you're on your way out," Mr. Higgins said nicely, before he turned and left.

"Thanks. Oh, um, what about the man?" she asked. Mr. Higgins stopped at the door and turned to her.

"They caught him trying to use your mother's credit card at an ATM. You're safe," Mr. Higgins said, as he gave her one last smile and walked out the door. Minutes later, a nurse came in gave Thalia her clothes.

"Thanks," she awkwardly muttered as she grabbed the clothes. She was about to stand up, when she remembered the stupid paper dress.

"Um… could you guys step out, please?" Thalia tried to ask nicely. They both stood up and left without saying anything and Thalia walked to the bathroom, her feet touching the cold floor. She changed into her clothes. She turned in the mirror and she stared at something in her shirt. There was a hole a little bit below her right breast. She touched it and her finger touched the bandage they had put over the wound to keep it from getting infected. So that's where the bullet went. Suddenly, Thalia felt everything she had kept at bay all night.

She slid down the wall of the bathroom and softly cried into her hands. Even though there was no one around her, she felt embarrassed that she was crying. She was fine. She should be, but she wasn't. She felt the muscles in her stomach cramp and a lump in her throat formed. She could taste the saltiness of her tears as they slid down her cheeks and onto her lips.

Her mother was so _stupid_. What possessed her to bring a stranger to their house? Her mother's mistake had almost cost her, her life. Thalia sighed and laid her head against the wall.

"I'm okay," she whispered, wiping the tears away. "I'm okay." She stood up shakily, and cleaned her face. She took a deep breath and left the hospital room.

Percy, Sally and her mother were sitting in the waiting room. Sally was talking to her mother and Thalia sighed. God knows what her mother was rambling on about. Thalia walked up and Percy was the first to stand up, a little too eagerly.

"Well, I'll be heading home now," he said. "Call me if you need anything."

"Sure," Thalia said, with no intention of ever calling him. She could handle herself. She didn't need anyone's help. Sally stood up next.

"Well dear, we should be off. I start work in two hours. I hope you feel much better," she said, as she gave Thalia another hug. They both left, Percy giving her one last look, before they disappeared. Thalia's mom stood up and Thalia didn't even want to look at her. She stormed out of the hospital and walked towards the car.

"Thalia wait!" her mother called after her.

"Look at that, you actually sound sober," Thalia shot at her. Her mother looked down ashamed.

"Thalia, I am so sorry," she said, offering Thalia a hug, but she took a step back. Her mother put her hands down awkwardly.

"No you're not," Thalia said. "You say you are, but a few hours down the road, you're in the bottle again."

"Thalia, please—"

"I don't want your apologies," Thalia said firmly, as she opened the car door and slid inside. She couldn't believe her mother had the nerve to ask for forgiveness. It infuriated her.

* * *

Thanks a lot to all my reviewers :) Your reviews mean a lot! So, I hope you like this chapter. If you don't, tell me why and if you do, tell me why! ;D I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :) Oh, I found out Thalia's mom is actually a blonde, but let's pretend she has a black hair, k? :P Thanks!


	7. You And Me

**7. You And Me**

The entire ride home was silent. Not even the radio had been turned on. Thalia looked out the window with her arms crossed. She was angry, she wanted to get to the apartment already and just lock herself up in her room. She could feel the bandage around her torso, constricting her. She was itching to rip it off, despite the doctor's specifications. When her mother finally parked, Thalia didn't give her a break to say something. She threw the door open, slammed it closed and ran up to the apartment.

She was finally in her room. She locked her door, threw her things on the floor and ended up standing in front of her mirror. She stared at herself; at the disheveled person standing in the glass. Her hair needed some serious brushing; her shirt was broken and stained red. The image of the gun flashed in her mind and she shook her head. She pulled off her shirt and threw it on the floor. She ripped off the bandage and revealed a raw hole with stitches. The cold air made the wound sting, but she didn't care. She softly brushed her fingers across the wound.

Her eyes stung and she sat down on the floor at the foot of her bed. Her head fell into her hands and she sobbed. Quietly, so her mother wouldn't hear her through the thin door. Her hands balled into fists around her hair. She wanted to scream. The shock of the gunshot was now falling on her and it didn't feel good. In her anger, she grabbed her bag and flung it across the room; letting everything spill out. Her headphones, her cellphone, her wallet and a little piece of paper. Thalia wiped away the tears and crawled over to the purse. She picked up the little torn piece of paper.

212-475-3345

Percy

He must've snuck it in when she was asleep or not looking. She set it on her nightstand, pulled on a shirt about five sizes too big for her, changed into a pair of cotton shorts and lay down in her bed. She suddenly felt unsafe. For the first time in a long time, she was afraid. She curled up into a ball, and just stayed there, feeling numb.

Her eyes looked around her room. Pale blue with posters of singers and bands she liked. Her closet, half open with all her punk clothes sticking out; some shirts hanging off the hangers, some thrown about the floor, and some semi-folded at the very top. Her shoes, mixed up on the floor; her radio/CD player sitting in one corner and her window, with blue curtains draped on the sides. The cream colored carpet and finally, a treasure chest looking dresser in the corner, locked.

Not very interesting and very vague. She stood up and walked to the kitchen to grab a bottled water and found her mother sitting at the island with a beer can in her hand. The anger Thalia had tried her best to keep controlled, finally came bursting out. She walked over to her mother and slapped the can out of her hand. It fell to the floor, spilling beer all over the wooden floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" her mother growled, standing up.

"Do you NOT get it?!" Thalia yelled.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" her mother yelled back.

"DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY? BECAUSE OF THAT?" Thalia yelled, pointing at the puddle of beer. Thalia walked closer to her mother until she was close enough to touch her.

"I ALMOST DIED! DOES THAT NOT GET THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL?!"

Without answering, her mother grabbed the car keys and left the apartment. Leaving Thalia shivering in anger. Thalia ran back to her room and started to throw her things. Didn't her mother understand? Did she not understand that her actions affect her too? Her hands slammed against the nightstand and the little piece of paper quivered from her breath. Thalia stared at it. Without thinking about it another second, she grabbed her cellphone and dialed the number.

"_Hello?"_ a voice answered. Thalia didn't answer. She bit her lip, wondering if this was her smartest move. But when the thought of her mother resurfaced, she didn't hesitate anymore.

"_Hellooo?"_

"Meet me at the park. 5 o'clock," she said, as she hung up the phone. She changed and stomped out of her house, not even bothering to clean up the mess she'd made. She bounded down the stairs, her face contorted into anger. She stormed to the park. There weren't a lot of people, mostly because it was Sunday. At the back, there was an abandoned swing. So, she walked towards it and sat in one of the swings. She gripped the chains holding it and slowly rocked back and forth with her eyes closed. She breathed in and out, in and out. _I'm okay. I'm okay. I know I'm okay._

"You could've said bye," a voice said behind her. Her eyes snapped open and she looked back. Percy was standing there, in a pair of jeans, a light green shirt with a green opened plaid shirt over it with rolled up sleeves and a pair of sneakers.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. He chuckled and sat down in the swing next to her.

"What happened?" he asked, keeping his gaze looking across the park instead of on her. Thalia sighed. There was something about him that made Thalia want to spill about her entire life. About how screwed up it is and how screwed up her mother is and how her father abandoned her and how she had no friends and how she probably wouldn't be able to college and everything in between, but Thalia stayed quiet. She hadn't thought about it in advance and now, she didn't know what to say. Especially because she hadn't had many social moments with other people.

"Nothing," she said.

"Sure," he replied, kicking his feet and swinging back and forth.

He turned his sea green eyes at her. Usually, when she looked at other people's eyes, she saw hatred or pity. But his… were neither. They were special. It was like they saw right through her and no matter what he saw, he wasn't scared of it. In fact, it called out to him; the way her blue eyes screamed pain; the way they drank in everything they saw and were calculating the best way to destroy it.

"Thalia?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Thalia asked, blinking. She hadn't realized she was staring at him and she quickly looked away when she realized what she had done.

"I want to show you something," he said, standing up. Thalia creased her eyebrows and looked at him.

"Trust me," he smiled. Thalia bit her lip, but she figured anything was better than going back to her own home. So she followed him. It felt like they had been walking forever. Every time she asked where they were going, he only replied: you'll see.

After a while, they ended up in front of a huge abandoned building.

"Come on," he smiled, as he ran inside, slipping through the planks of wood that should've kept outsiders out. Thalia reluctantly followed him. He ran up the stairs. Flights and flights of stairs. Thalia's lungs were about to burst from the exercise. Finally, Percy opened a door and that revealed a huge terrace.

"Whoa," Thalia said, as she could see the entire Manhattan city.

"Pretty awesome, huh?" Percy said as he walked forward and sat on a small bench.

"Come on," he said, as he patted the empty space next to him. Thalia slowly walked towards him and sat down. The bench was small, so they were only a few inches away from each other.

"I found this place one day when I got lost. I was probably fifteen. I took a wrong turn and ended up losing track of the way home. I saw this building and well… I got a little curious," he said, smiling proudly at the view he had discovered years before.

"It's amazing," Thalia breathed, as she studied the line of buildings and the Hudson River flowing behind them.

"Yeah, it is," Percy said, as he looked at her. Thalia pretended she didn't hear him and kept her eyes on the horizon. Thalia glanced at her watch. It was already 6:27 PM. The time did travel fast. It was just starting to darken. They stared at the view, talking every now and again about random things.

"So, what happened?" Percy finally asked again. Thalia looked at him. The moon was rising and it reflected in his green eyes beautifully. Thalia shocked herself with the thought and quickly pushed it out of her head. She sighed.

"Mom came home with some guy. He tried to rob her, I got his attention, tried to stop him from shooting mom. And well, I think you know the rest," Thalia said, chewing on her lip.

"Oh," Percy said. To be honest, Thalia was taken off guard. Normally, people would give you a look of pity and say "oh I am so sorry!" but not really mean it. But Percy didn't. Thalia actually felt refreshed from that.

"Well…" he said, as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. He searched through it and then clicked on something. A song started to pour from its speakers and Thalia immediately recognized it. You and Me by Lifehouse. He stood up and placed his phone on the bench.

"May I ask for this dance?" he said, as he extended his hand to her. Thalia was surprised, but for once, she didn't say no.

She slid her hand into his and he pulled her up. He pulled her in front of him, placing his other hand on her waist. He smiled and she rested her hand on his shoulder. He started to move, falling into the rhythm of a simple slow dance. He was several inches taller than her, so she had to look up, while he looked down, staring into her eyes.

_I can't keep up and I can't back down. I've been losing so much time. 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose. And it's you and me and all other people. And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you._

He slowly spun her around and held her close again, sliding back and forth. A feeling Thalia had never felt before was crawling up her spine. And she loved it and hated it at the same time. His hands were so soft and she was restraining herself from curling up her fingers in his shirt as they slowly glided across the floor in a graceful dance.

_And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you. What day is it? And in what month?_

He threw her out and then pulled her in, as she rolled into his arm and landed with her hands on his chest, his hands on her waist and their faces only inches apart.

_This clock never seemed so alive._

* * *

Thanks for the reviews guys! I'd never had so many so quick! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :) If you didn't like it, tell me why and if you liked it, tell me why. Criticism if it needs any, but please don't be harsh.

Again, if you have not done so already, I really urge you guys to check out **Writer'sWings**. Not very easy to find talented writers like her! So yeah, that's end of my author's note, thanks again guys :)

(Just in case)  
I do NOT own Riordan's characters or the music I mention. BUT, I do own the plot! ;)


	8. Detention

**8. Detention**

She quickly shoved his hands off and stepped back, leaving him pretty startled.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, taking a step towards her, but she raised her hand.

"It's late. I have to go," she said, as she grabbed her bag and ran out of the broken building. She couldn't believe she was so close to— no. She shouldered her bag and walked through the park. Vile started to rise up from her throat and she felt like she wanted to hurl. Her mother's stupidity must be catching. The soft wind whirled her hair around.

All she wanted was something to take her mind off her stupid mother and it ended up in one of those stupid scenes from a corny movie. She couldn't believe herself. She shook her head and took a deep breath. _Whatever._

She walked into her apartment. She turned on the light of the kitchen and noticed the beer puddle was still there. She sighed and looked for a towel. She set it over it, and the liquid soaked into it in seconds. Several paper towels later, she took a shower. She sat in the tub, letting the hot water fall on her back. Her hair hung in her face and she softly breathed, the water spilling from her lips every time she moved them. The stress and pain subsided and her muscles finally relaxed.

She thought about Percy on the roof; when she decided to take his offer. How they glided across the floor in some stupid dance. But somehow it felt nice. It had reminded her of the days when her father actually acted like a father, and would put on Beethoven, pull her up onto his feet and swing her around like some modern Cinderella. It felt good to dance again. To feel the nice warmth of someone against you and swing to the rhythm of a song you loved. Except it wasn't her father. It was some boy, whom she almost kissed and she couldn't believe herself.

_Just forget about him, Thalia._ She finished rinsing off and went to bed.

At first, her sleep was comfortable and just darkness, but it turned into a nightmare. She was standing on a building; the building she lives in. She was looking down and fear was taking over her as she stared down stories and stories, all leading to a really hard ground. She heard a soft click and spun around to see a gun pointing right at her. She caught her breath. The man pulled the trigger and with a loud pop she woke up. She jumped up, panting.

Light streamed in through her window, showering the floor in a soft yellow light. She looked at her clock; 6:46 AM.

"Shit," she whispered as she jumped out of bed and started to change. She was going to be late for school; again. She almost fell pulling up her jeans, and smacked her door trying to put on her shirt. She was halfway out the door, trying to put on her boots when she forgot to brush her teeth.

"Uuugh," she moaned as she ran back to her bathroom and brushed her teeth. She glanced down the hallway and she could barely see her mother's toes poking out of her comforter. She rolled eyes. She ran out the door, intentionally slamming it as hard as possible and jogging down the stairs. She got one of those mini headaches when the sun blasted in her face as soon as she walked out. She glanced at her watch; 7:13 AM.

She pulled her arm through the other strap of her backpack and ran down the sidewalk. Her boots thundering on the cement, as she whirled around corners and crossed streets. 7:27 AM.

She ran around a corner and finally saw the school she'd been running to. Brunner Institution. She ran inside, three minutes before the bell would ring. She ran down the halls, shoving her way past kids and slid inside her classroom right when the bell rang. The teacher looked startled and the kids snickered. She was panting and she had sweat dripping down her temples.

"Sorry," she muttered, as she slowly walked to the back of the classroom and sat down. As the teacher ignored Thalia's sudden entrance and started teaching the class, she slumped her head down and tried to catch her breath.

"Had to sober up your mom before coming to school, huh?" a girl said sarcastically, sending her a cocky look. Cindy Tempalwhirl. The annoying, rich, popular girl of the school. She was sitting with her legs crossed, in a short plaid skirt, a pink long sleeved shirt and black heels. She had blonde hair with blue eyes and she simply loved bullying Thalia. She literally would go out of her way _just _to bother her. Thalia looked at her annoyed, but ignored her. She could live without her drama. Thalia spent the rest of the day suffering through her classes, her hand hurting from all the notes she was taking and her head hurting from all the homework she was receiving.

Brunner Institution is not an easy school, but it was one of the best schools Thalia could find with her budget. During seventh period, history, a man in a wheelchair came in. Mr. Brunner, the founder and principal of Brunner Institution. Our teacher, Mr. Whatley, stopped his speech about Congress and turned to Mr. Brunner.

"Well, what a nice surprised Mr. Brunner! May I help you with something?" he asked, setting down his chalk. Mr. Brunner smiled kindly.

"Is Thalia Grace in your class today?" he asked, his eyes wandering over the crowd. Thalia froze, not even finishing the word she was writing. Her mind went into hyper-drive as she tried to think of a reason the principal would like to see her. Mr. Whatley nodded and turned to the students; all their eyes were on her.

"Thalia, please accompany me to the office please," Mr. Brunner said, as she turned and wheeled out of the classroom. Reluctantly, she packed up her things and stood up. She tried to ignore the stares of all the students that were snickering at her. She walked down the hall, following Mr. Brunner into his office.

His office was big compared to others, mostly because of his disability. The floor was wood and his desk had a big golden plaque saying MR. BRUNNER. And the worst part of everything, standing in the back corner of the office, was Cindy Tempalwhirl. Thalia resisted the urge to run over to her and punch her square in the face. Cindy smirked. She had her arms crossed as she leaned against the filing cabinet. Thalia sat down in one of the chairs, and placed her bag next to her feet. Thalia stayed quiet as she chewed on her lip. Mr. Brunner went behind his desk and softly frowned; pursing his lips.

"Sir?" Thalia said softly, when Mr. Brunner had said nothing yet.

"I have been told that there were some nasty words spray-painted onto the wall of Mrs. Diniro," he said, interlocking his fingers over his desk. Thalia gulped. She could already tell where this was going. She glanced at Cindy, who was staring at her with a cocky smile.

"I didn't do it, sir," she said defensively.

"I have been told otherwise. I do not want you to lie to me."

"Mr. Brunner, please believe me, I didn't do it."

"We found the aerosol can in your locker," he said. Thalia's eyes widened. She was certain, more than anything, she was not the culprit and that she had not put that can in her locker.

"I'm going to have to assign four days to detention after school starting today and you are responsible for repainting the classroom," he said.

"But—"

"That is my final decision," he said firmly, but something about the look in his eyes told her, her punishment was more for show for Cindy than his actual verdict. Thalia sighed, grabbed her bag and stormed out of the office. She couldn't believe Cindy had done that to her. Actually, scratch that, she _could_ believe it. Cindy was Thalia's personal boogey man. Thalia walked to her eighth period that, unfortunately, she had with Cindy.

She sat down in the back and started doodling in her notebook, until she heard a voice.

"I can't believe you would do that," a voice said mockingly, sitting in the chair next to her. Thalia recognized that voice immediately and her hands balled up into fists.

"What do you want Cindy?" she growled, turning to look at the blonde with bright red lipstick. She snickered.

"Oh nothing."

"I know you did it," Thalia said, trying her best not to pummel her right then and there. Cindy waved a hand.

"I would never get my hands dirty," she smiled, raising her fine eyebrows.

"Of course not. You probably had someone do it for you. Some poor boy who got lost in your… eyes," Thalia said. Cindy laughed. She leaned forward.

"No one will believe you anyways," she said. Anger tingled on her skin just _looking _at her.

"I wouldn't even bother. 'Cause karma will be the one to come back and bite you in the ass," Thalia said.

"Yeah, whatever," Cindy said as she stood up and fixed her skirt. "Have fun in detention," Cindy smiled, as she strutted away, dragging her fingers across a boy's hair. Thalia rolled her eyes. She'd been butting heads with Cindy since the ninth grade. She couldn't stand her. Thalia always believed she was the devil in disguise.

Cindy always thought she was better than anyone because her parents were incredibly rich. She could get any boy she wanted just by winking in their direction. Even teachers sometimes did what she said. Everyone was gaga over her, except Thalia. People would think she was so sweet and nice, but Thalia knew the real Cindy; a low life tramp that threw a tantrum whenever she didn't get what she wanted. Your typical rich girl.

Cindy always bullied Thalia, even though Thalia wasn't even a mild threat to her. Thalia still can't figure out why Cindy has it in for her. With Thalia's new punishment in mind, she couldn't even concentrate on the class. She would doodle, mostly things like Cindy getting hit by a bus or Cindy hanging over a tank of hungry sharks, or Cindy falling into a pit of poisonous snakes or Cindy getting struck by lightning, until she found herself sketching out a drawing of the view from the broken building where she had danced for the first time for years. She smiled, as she drew the little windows of the buildings and the small ripples of the Hudson River. Although she would never admit it out loud, she enjoyed those three minutes they had danced under the stars.

Suddenly, the bell rang and Mrs. Towry's last set of words were for a homework due tomorrow. Answer questions 1-26 on page 163. Thalia sighed and scribbled it down. Nothing like answering a bunch of questions on a Monday afternoon. Thalia packed her things and left the classroom, heading towards Mr. Bong's room. The detention room.

"Have fun!" Cindy laughed as she walked out of the building with two boys behind her. Thalia glared in her direction and kept walking. She walked into the classroom, wrote her name on the name sheet for the detention attendees and sat there doing her homework and watching Mr. Bong play solitaire on his computer. _This can't get any worse._ But it did.

A boy walked in with very tan skin and extremely dark curly hair. He wore a big goofy grin and when he saw Thalia, he walked over and sat in the chair next to her.

"Sup," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Forget it kid," she said, looking away and out the window. She was already upset with the detention, she didn't need some annoying kid talking to her and trying to hit on her.

"Oh come on, I'm just trying to be nice. Truce?" he said, extending his hand. Thalia looked at his hand in disgust and shrugged. He pursed his lips and pulled his hand back.

"Well, at least let me introduce myself," he said, with a smile. "I'm Valdez. Leo Valdez."

* * *

Thanks a lot for the reviews guys! :) I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll apologize in advance, because my uploads might get slower, but hopefully not. Anyways, you know the drill! Review if you liked or not ;) Thanks!

And thanks a lot **Writer'sWings**. Don't forget guys, really talented author right there :)


	9. Cookie Jar

**9. Cookie Jar**

"Thalia," she said, mostly out of courtesy. She turned back to her homework and tried to finish the last five questions.

"Nice name," Leo said, leaning against the chair, extending his legs and crossing his arms.

"Sure," Thalia muttered absentmindedly as she wrote down the answer to question #23.

"Yeah…" Leo said staring out into space. "I just switched schools a few weeks ago," he said, desperately trying to start a conversation with the dark haired beauty. But he was failing miserably.

"So, uh… what are you in detention for?" he asked, looking at her expectantly. Thalia didn't bother answering. She just wanted to finish her questions, because right after that she had to start her project for English class. She was determined to keep her grades up, despite the fact she had to walk three dogs after detention, clean the house again, babysit for a three year old at 8 and finish her report on Shakespeare when she got home.

"You don't talk much, huh?" Leo continued. Thalia slammed her pencil down and sighed in frustration.

"I'm a little _busy_ right now. Please, just leave me alone," she burst, as she picked up her pencil again and finished scribbling down her answers. Leo bit his lip.

"Do you need any help with that?" he said, craning his neck to get a better look at her homework.

"No. I'm good," Thalia said, closing her book. Leo pursed his lips. Thalia was so close to just walking out of the classroom without finishing her sentence. This kid was just so _annoying_. She shoved her materials back into her bag and rested her head on it.

"You coming to detention tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"If I say yes, will that make you shut up?" Thalia mumbled, not bothering to lift her head. She was tired and she still had a lot of work ahead of her. And that was just for today.

"It does actually," Leo said happily as he pulled his bag onto his lap. Thalia rolled her eyes. She could tell Leo was just exploding to talk. She could see from the corner of her eye his constant shaking of the leg and his fumbling with his pencil; disassembling it and reassembling it as pulling a lever. Thalia let her heavy eyes close.

Next thing she knew, there was a loud pop next to her ear. She jumped up, fell to the floor and hid behind the desk, panting. Her heart beat racing at a million miles per hour.

"Whoa, you okay?" Leo asked, setting down his Biology book.

"Hey! No slamming books!" Mr. Bong yelled, before he swiveled his head back to his game. Leo nodded and came around the desk with a look of concern. He tried to help her up but she swatted him away.

"I'm fine," she growled, as she stood up and fixed her shirt. Her hands were shaking and she hid them in her pockets so Leo wouldn't see them.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said.

"I said I'm fine," Thalia snapped. Leo held up his hands in a sign of surrender.

"Okay, well, detention is over," he said grabbing his bag and book.

"Thanks," Thalia said sharply. She grabbed her bag and stomped out of the room. She couldn't believe she had jumped like a little girl all because of a book. She stopped in the hallway and leaned against the wall. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. _I'm okay. I'm okay. It was just a book, nothing more._ She regained herself, lifted her head and walked back to her apartment.

She walked into her bathroom and let warm water run over her hands. The water relaxed her. She brushed her teeth again and brushed her hair, pulling it up into a messy bun. She changed into a pair of shorts (mostly because the dogs she walked were very friendly and prone to shedding), a black Green Day t-shirt and converse.

She walked into the kitchen and grabbed something quick to eat. She sat at the island eating a bowl of Apple Jacks when her mother comes in, dragging her feet on the floor. Thalia doesn't even bother making conversation with her anymore, she just watches as her mother stumbles around, trying to find things with half open eyes.

She opens the fridge and pulls out some leftover pizza. She throws the box onto the counter and opens it. She stares at it for a second, before she gags and runs to the trash can with a hand clamped over her mouth. She bends over it and barfs really loud and really disgusting. She falls to her knees, her arms over the sides with her head resting on her arm. Thalia sets down her bowl and walks over to her.

"Mom?" she asked, touching her shoulder. Her mother looks up at her and then hurls again. Thalia quickly grabs her hair, as she pukes into the trash can. The smell of her puke almost made Thalia want to gag, but she swallowed the vomit seeping up her throat. Her mother was panting as she slid against the counter, her body slouching.

"Mom, are you okay?" Thalia asked, grabbing a hand towel hanging over the stove and wiping away her puke from the corners of her lips.

"I'm fine," she said coarsely.

"Damn right you are," Thalia muttered, as she grabbed her mother under her arms and pulled up. Thalia couldn't believe her she was dragging her mother to the couch because of a stupid hangover. She hoped other children didn't have to deal with this. She dragged her to the couch and set her down.

"I told him not to leave you," her mother said, fixing her head in the crook of the couch's armrest. She locked her big blue eyes with Thalia's, but it seemed like it was just a hollow shell of her mother, because her eyes seemed almost blank. "He said he'd love you forever. He lied."

"I know Mom," she said, as she grabbed a blanket and placed it over her mother. "Just get some sleep."

Thalia glanced at her watch and realized it was time for her to be heading out. So, she threw her dishes into the sink, grabbed her keys and bag and left the apartment. She walked for about twenty five minutes, until she reached her destination. She pressed #3 and without hesitation, they buzzed her in. She walked up and knocked on the Robinsons' door. It swung wide open and a golden retriever knocked into Thalia, almost making her fall.

"Oh dear, he will always think he's still a puppy!" Mrs. Robinson chuckled as she grabbed Rusty by the collar and pulled him off Thalia. Thalia laughed.

"Of course," she said, as Mrs. Robinson handed her the leash. Behind her, their Yorkie, Pink ran up and jumped on Thalia's legs.

"Thalia, my dogs absolutely love you. I mean, they aren't that fond of others. What did you do to them?" Mrs. Robinson chuckled as the dogs attacked Thalia's legs. Thalia shrugged, bent down and patted their heads.

"How are my puppies doing?" Thalia said, as Rusty licked her cheek. She looked up at Mrs. Robinson. "Where's Ziggy?"

"Tim took him to the vet. He was having some… intestinal problems," Mrs. Robinson said, trying her best to not use the word "diarrhea". Mrs. Robinson was always like that. She was the sweetest person ever and tries to avoid using words like that just out of courtesy. But don't let that fool you, she can have a real potty mouth when she watches football, but she was still the most adorable person Thalia has ever met.

"Poor thing, I hope he gets better," Thalia said, as she grabbed Pink and Rusty's leashes and started down the hall. "Be back soon!" Thalia yelled behind her.

"Take your time sweetie!" Mrs. Robinson said, as she snuck back into her apartment and closed the door. The Robinsons were the sweetest people Thalia has ever known, but they also had some bad luck. They had been wanting kids for years, but Mrs. Robinson was incapable of ever having kids, which is really sad considering how nice they are. Their kids would've loved them. And sometimes, Thalia wished they were _her_ parents.

Thalia thought about the way her life would have turned out if her mom and dad weren't jackasses and drunks. If they had been the Robinsons. She would probably have cookies for breakfast and sit at the kitchen table while they scratched their heads trying to figure out her math problems.

She would be happy.

The dogs pulled at the leashes as Thalia took awkward long, stompy steps to keep them at a steady pace. They were turning a corner when Thalia's phone rang. She flipped her phone open.

"Hello?"

"_Thalia! On your way back home, bring pineapples, please!"_ Thalia's mother demanded over the phone. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Sure, anything for you," Thalia said sarcastically. Without another word, her mother hung up the phone. Thalia sighed and shoved her phone back into her bag.

"This sucks," Thalia breathed as she thought about how her mother kept using up her money. It just wasn't fair. After an hour, she walked back to the Robinsons' apartment. Like always, they quickly let her in. She ran up the stairs, Pink bounding up one step at a time, while Rusty was jumping over three.

She knocked on the door and Tim Robinson answered this time.

"Hey Thalia!" he greeted, as he held the door wide open. He was a pretty tall man, with very light brown hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing an almost white dress pants with a buttoned up light blue shirt.

"Hey Mr. Robinson," Thalia smiled. He turned his head and cupped his ear.

"Excuse me, what did you say?" he said, straining forward sarcastically. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"_Tim_," she chuckled.

"Now that's more like it! Come on in!" he smiled, stepping to the side and giving her way into their apartment. The dogs ran inside and onto Mrs. Robinson's lap as she sat on the couch.

"Ooh, my cute puppies! How was your walk?!" Mrs. Robinson cooed to her dogs as they jumped around excitedly. She then turned her head, her dark brown curls falling around her shoulders and smiled at Thalia. She stood up, shoving Pinky to the floor and walked over to the kitchen.

"You want a cookie, honey?" she asked, as she walked towards the fridge. Without even answering, she pulled out a plastic case of chocolate chip chewy cookies, pulled it open and offered it to Thalia. Mrs. Robinson loved to spoil her guests, and she rarely took no for an answer. She grabbed one and munched on it while Mrs. Robinson fished for the money in her cookie jar.

"Thanks," Thalia mumbled through the cookie crumbs falling from her lips.

"Oh, no worries dear. Here…" she said, turning. She licked her fingers and counted through the bills and handed Thalia twenty bucks. Thalia shoved it into her pocket.

"Thanks," Thalia smiled.

"So, how's your mother Thalia?" Tim asked, as he clapped Thalia on the shoulder and walked into the kitchen, planting a quick kiss on the back of Mrs. Robinson's head.

"Oh, you know… same as always," Thalia said, looking away from Mrs. Robinson's big brown eyes.

"Well, are you coming to Tim's birthday party?" Mrs. Robinson asked sensing Thalia's discomfort and changing the subject. Crap. That was this Saturday. Could she make it? Thalia bit her lip. She had a lot of work and she had offered to babysit for a couple.

"I'll try my best," Thalia said, forcing a smile. Mrs. Robinson was about to say something else when Thalia's phone went off again, but this time a message.

_R u done yet? Dont forget wat I asked for! – Mom._

Thalia sighed.

"I've got to go," Thalia said sadly. She loved spending time with the Robinsons. They were like family to her. But of course, her mother tried her best to not let Thalia have one happy moment. Figures.

* * *

Sorry it took me so long to update the next chapter. I'm trying, but well, I got really busy suddenly. I'm not sure if this chapter came out so well, so let me know! Thanks for the reviews and favorites!


	10. Pumpkin

**10. Pumpkin**

She stopped at a little market on the way home to buy those pineapples her mother wanted. It's not like she could've gone home and said "I forgot" with her mother texting her every five minutes to remind her. So she walked down the street, pineapples in hand. As soon as she got home, she would have to run around like a maniac to clean the house to then leave once again to babysit an 8 year old. If only she could just go home and _sleep_. Something she wasn't getting a whole lot these past days.

She arrived at her apartment and slowly walked up the steps, biding her time. Her mother could wait. She hummed 21 guns as she walked down the hallway and opened the door to her apartment. Her mother was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of popcorn and watching Jersey Shore. Thalia rolled her eyes.

As soon as her mother heard the door open and close, she was off the couch and bounding toward Thalia.

"Did you get them?" she asked hungrily.

"Yeah," Thalia said, handing her the grocery bag. Her mother ripped the bag out of her hand, walked into the kitchen and started cutting the pineapple. She cut it into a lot of pieces and just started eating them. Just like that. No seasoning or cooking. She just bit into the yellow inside, juice running down her chin. Thalia scrunched up her nose in disgust as she watched her mother eat like a barbarian. Thalia didn't hate pineapples, but she wasn't crazy about them either.

"You could say thanks," Thalia said. Her mother just nodded absent-mindedly, plopped the knife in the sink and went back to the couch to finish her episode of Jersey Shore. Thalia sighed. She left her things on her bed and started her daily labor of cleaning the house. If she never took that initiative, this place would look like a pigsty because her mother never lifted a finger and Thalia gave up on arguing with her to do so. She started by grabbing a trash bag and started throwing things out. Pizza box – check. Expired milk – check. Empty cereal boxes – check.

After she threw out everything she could at least _see_, she made her way to the pile of dirty dishes and started washing them. Every once and a while, over the running of the faucet water, she'd hear her mother arguing at the TV. As if Snooki could hear her.

Thalia was washing the last plate, when her mother walks in and dumps the plate she'd used for the pineapples into the sink.

"God! Mom!" Thalia said exasperated.

"Oh please, one more dish isn't going to kill you!" her mother said, before she spun and re-accompanied her television show. Thalia sighed. After washing _another_ dish, she grabbed a broom and started sweeping. Usually she'd mop too, but when she looked at her watch, she didn't have much time before she had to leave to babysit.

As she changed into a different set of clothes, she could feel her muscles wound up. She tried stretching a little, but her body was like a coil. She looked in the mirror. A pair of capris, converse and a black V-neck. She reached down for her bag and felt a soft pain in her abdomen.

"Ugh, stupid, stupid wound," Thalia mumbled under her breath. She checked her wound to make sure she hadn't ripped anything when a loud sound echoed into her room. She immediately fell to the ground and curled up into a ball. Then, the sound came again, but a little softer and voices started to mingle into it. Thalia stood up and looked out her window to see a garbage truck collecting trash. Thalia exhaled deeply.

"Just a truck, of course," Thalia whispered. She stood up and took another breath. "I'm good." But as hard as she tried to convince herself, she knew she was on the edge. She was like a rubber band. At some point, she'll snap and she knew it. But she ignored it.

She grabbed her things and left without saying a word to her mother. It's not like she would notice anyways. Thalia walked through New York, making her way to her eight year old in need of babysitting. This is only the second time she's ever needed babysitting. She lived alone with her mother, since her dad had died in a car crash only months after she was born. It was a heartbreaking story, but somehow she had grown beyond that. She was a good student and a good daughter and her and her mother made an undeniable team.

Thalia walked into a small urbanization of small houses. These houses looked peaceful, with their yellow walls and shrubs and neatly cut bushes. At one of the houses, there was a woman on her knees in her front yard, plucking weeds from her roses. In another house, you could hear the blaring sound of a football game. It all seemed strangely _normal _here. Like these people didn't live surrounded by a bustling city. Thalia looked at the houses longingly. She had heard her parents talking about a house every once and a while, and she'd spin in her room, pretending she was standing in one these backyards, sitting under a tree and jumping into piles of leaves during autumn. But alas, those dreams were crushed when her father left.

She passed by a street where a huge and tall house was on sale. She stopped and looked at it, thoughts pouring into her mind. What if this had been the house they had bought? Thalia bit her lip and then rolled her eyes. She tried her best to kick out any sliver of fantasy, because that would only fill her head with false hope. And she didn't need that in a world that gave you a harsh lesson in reality around every corner.

She finally made it to the little girl's house and knocked on their door. It was so weird to knock on their door instead of pressing a buzzer. Thalia was tempted to knock again wondering if they had heard her the first time when a woman opened the door, Ms. Whirly.

"Hey Thalia, thanks for coming," she said as she opened the door wider.

"No problem," Thalia said as she walked in.

"Thalia?" a small voice came from the kitchen. Thalia couldn't help but smile.

"It's me, pumpkin!" Thalia said and she heard feet pounding out of the kitchen and straight towards her. Thalia held her arms open and the little girl jumped and fitted herself into her arms. It wasn't hard, since she was small for her age.

She had blonde pigtails and she was wearing pink shorts with a white T-shirt.

"Hey pumpkin, how are you?" Thalia said, tapping her nose with her finger. Pumpkin smiled.

"Well, we're reading this book in English class that's really hard and the teacher is being completely unfair. Oh, and this boy threw spit wads at me! But guess what? He got detention for it," she laughed.

"Yes, because what happens to people who do bad things?" Ms. Whirly said.

"Karma's gonna bite them in the butt!" Pumpkin answered proudly. Ms. Whirly nodded and walked into the kitchen.

"That's right," Thalia said to Pumpkin as she followed Ms. Whirly into the kitchen.

"Well, I have to go in about five minutes. Thanks for coming," Ms. Whirly said as she picked up two towels from the floor, still leaving a white puddle.

"No problem," Thalia said. "What happened here?" Ms. Whirly gave Pumpkin the eye as she spoke.

"My little trouble maker here spilled the carton of milk all over the floor," Ms. Whirly said, raising an eye brow at Pumpkin. She grabbed some paper towels and finished cleaning the mess.

"I said sorry…" Pumpkin said and then gave a smile. Ms. Whirly smiled, kissed Pumpkin on the forehead and left to finish getting dressed. Thalia set Pumpkin down.

"You cause so much trouble," Thalia said as Pumpkin just smiled such a big smile where her eyes were shut tight and her head was tilted back. Thalia rolled her eyes playfully.

"You have any homework, squirt?" Thalia asked, as she sat at the table.

"Well, my history teacher gave us some questions and I have some problems for math," she said, as she moved the papers on the kitchen table around to show her the work. "I need help with math," she said.

"Sure, let me see."

* * *

Sorry it took me so long to bring this chapter out. Review and let me know what you guys think! Now, just in case, 21 guns is a Green Day song. And... I know this chapter is a little bit slow, but every story has their slow chapters, so I guess this one is mine :P Thank you all for the reviews and the favorites! Until next chapter! (and if I made any mistakes, please point them out so I can fix them :P) Thanks.


	11. Movie Star

**11. Movie Star**

"She says she really likes him… but I'm worried," Pumpkin said as she lazily drew circles on the back page of her notebook.

"I don't think you should. Your mother is a smart woman, she'll know when something's up," Thalia said, trying to calm her and sound sincere, which wasn't hard. Ms. Whirly really was a smart woman. She was a mix between a lawyer and a cosmetician. She had grown up in a small neighborhood and went to college to study law, until she realized it wasn't for her. She dabbled in physics until she slowly made her way into cosmetology and soon after, opened up her own salon. Many people had seen her as a bimbo, but she would quickly change their minds as soon as she spoke with such big words, it could make doctors seem less than her.

She was a down to earth woman and she didn't become a cosmetician because she simply liked make-up, she did it because she wanted to make people feel good about themselves. And she had never looked backed on her decision ever since Pumpkin's dad had walked in through that door for a "haircut". But now, years and several failed dates later she had found someone else.

"I know she's smart! But Thalia, I just…" she looked around as if she was struggling for the right words.

"You don't want to lose her," Thalia concluded. Pumpkin looked at her sadly.

"That obvious?" she murmured as she doodled again in her notebook. Thalia smiled. She reached over to cup Pumpkin's hand.

"Your mother will _never_ leave you. Trust me," Thalia said and she meant it. She wasn't just saying it to make her feel better, she was saying it because it was true. Ms. Whirly was a wonderful woman who had somehow managed to overcome her husband's death without turning to drugs or alcohol. Not to mention, she had been able to raise Pumpkin into a beautiful girl with a wonderful personality to match and keep her business successful. It was a miracle Thalia had wanted to see in her life, but no matter how bitter she felt towards her own mother, she was thankful that not all mothers were the same.

"Really?"

"Really, really." Pumpkin smiled. As soon as they had finished their chores, they could hear the faint sound of keys jiggling at the door. Ms. Whirly walked in with such a bright smile, she lit up the whole room, like she always did.

"So how was it?" Thalia asked, as she and Pumpkin walked out of the living room to meet Ms. Whirly in the hall way.

"Like a movie," she said and Pumpkin giggled.

"What a corny pun mom!" Pumpkin laughed and Ms. Whirly stuck her tongue out. Thalia's expression was a little bit confused and Ms. Whirly explained.

"My date is a –"

"MOVIE STAR!" Pumpkin interrupted.

"An actor," Ms. Whirly said, hanging up her coat.

"Nice," Thalia commented, wondering how in the world Ms. Whirly had gotten a date with a famous person. Not only that, but deep down, she was burning with curiosity as in _which_ actor, but she didn't want to pry, so she kept her mouth shut.

"I'll be right back with your pay!" Ms. Whirly said, as she bounded up the stairs.

"She looks happy," Thalia said. Happier than she had been last year, when Thalia had babysat Pumpkin the first time.

"She is," Pumpkin said softly. Ms. Whirly came back down and handed Thalia twenty bucks.

"Thank you so much for coming Thalia, I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Thalia said, picking up her bag from the floor. Ms. Whirly nodded.

"Well, excuse me, I have to get ready for work tomorrow. Have a nice night Thalia!" she said, as she bounded up the stairs again, her long blonde hair bouncing behind her.

"Bye Pumpkin," Thalia said as she grabbed the door knob.

"Bye Thalia," Pumpkin replied, as she gave Thalia a hug. Thalia opened the door when there was a shout from upstairs.

"ELIZABETH MARIE WHIRLY!" Thalia heard Ms. Whirly call from upstairs.

"I got to go, have fun!" Thalia blinked as Pumpkin nodded and bounded up the stairs with wide eyes. Thalia chuckled when she was outside and walked back to her apartment. The rest of the night was painstakingly long as Thalia finished writing her report on Shakespeare and finished her homework. She threw herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. There had been no sign of her mother since Thalia had gotten back to her apartment. She wasn't sure if she was still in her bedroom, or out in a bar, but whichever it was, Thalia wasn't going to bother. Before long, she fell asleep.

Her dreams were darkness until there was a small flash of light followed by a loud bang. Thalia gasped and then she heard the soft echo of metal falling on a tiled floor.

"Who is it?! Who's there?!" Thalia yelled, but there was no answer. Thalia looked around, her wide eyes seeing nothing but darkness.

"I know you're there!" she yelled, as her sketchy breathing broke the endless silence. Suddenly, she was knocked to the floor and she felt an aching pain in her abdomen. She could feel something wet and she knew immediately what it was. She was now scared out of her wits. She struggled to her feet and when she looked up, she saw the smoking barrel of a gun an inch from her face. She could see the slow movement of someone's finger pulling the trigger and with a scream, she awoke covered in sweat. She leaned against her knees and tried to catch her breath and calm her nerves.

After a minute, she stood up and shook off the nightmare.

"It's just a dream," she mumbled under breath; a failed attempt to calm herself down. She changed her clothes, brushed her teeth and walked for another day of torture; school. And it was only Tuesday.

This time she wasn't late and she took her time walking down the halls to her classroom when a voice called her. She spun, to see her principal rolling towards her.

"Hi Mr. Brunner," she said, as he neared.

"Come to my office," he said, as he turned and rolled down another hall that led to his office. Thalia bit her lip. She was in enough trouble already, what could she have _not done_ this time? But her fear quickly switched to anger as she remembered Cindy and she could already see that this was her doing. When they entered his office, she sat down and waited for Mr. Brunner to settle himself behind his desk.

"Thalia, I am sorry–"

"I didn't do it," Thalia interrupted defensively.

"I know."

"There was no way I could've– wait what?" Thalia asked, taken off guard by his quick agreement.

"I know you weren't the one who broke into Mrs. Diniro's room and spray-painted those words. You're off the hook," Mr. Brunner said, picking up a pen and opening a manila folder. Thalia sat there, mostly out of shock and curiosity. Mr. Brunner looked up when he realized Thalia hadn't moved.

"You may go," he said, adding a warm smile. Still confused, Thalia stood up and walked to her classroom muttering under her breath. The happiness she would've felt was now tainted by burning curiosity. Had Mr. Brunner found out it had really been Cindy? Or was it just his never ending generosity? Thalia shook her head. Either way, she was free of detention; one less thing to worry about.

The rest of the day was strangely peaceful. Probably because Cindy was absent today? No- yeah, that was exactly why. Thalia was basking in her absence and secretly hoping Cindy was sick and couldn't make it for the rest of the week. When school was over, she strolled over to the park she walked past every day to reach her apartment and stopped to sit at one of the benches. Today she decided she didn't want to sit inside her scrummy apartment. She wanted to enjoy the sunshine for once.

"Okay, so I have math, English and these history terms…" Thalia muttered as she rummaged through her books and gathered her homework. She was really enjoying this peaceful day, until…

"Hey," a voice said. She knew that voice and her eyes strayed up to see Percy sitting across her, on the other bench seat.

"Seat's taken," Thalia said, hoping he would get up and leave.

"Yeah, probably for your imaginary friends," Percy retorted. Thalia glared at him.

"What do you want?" Thalia asked, setting her pencil down and focusing her attention on the annoying kid in front of her.

"An explanation," he answered, as he rolled a baseball between his hands.

"For what?"

"For Sunday." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Thalia said, as she picked up her pencil and started working again. Percy stopped rolling the baseball.

"You know exactly what. Look, I'm fine if you want nothing to do with me, but at least do it with a little more decency," he said, leaning forward so he didn't have to speak so loud. Thalia looked at him, anger beginning to burn in her stomach.

"You didn't have to come," she replied defensively.

"I wanted to," Percy answered and Thalia strained to hear a lie in what he had said, but she didn't find any and that scared her deep down.

"Why?" she asked, eyeing him. Percy shrugged.

"You needed me," he said.

"No, I didn't," Thalia quickly answered. How dare he say she needed him? She could do fine on her own, always has. Thalia felt a tad bit insulted.

"Fine, you didn't," Percy said, but Thalia knew he was just agreeing to avoid an argument. She didn't say anything else. She just started working again, doing her best to ignore his persistent presence.

"Why don't we start over?" Percy said when he realized Thalia wasn't going to talk. Thalia thought it over. Most of her screamed no, but an incredibly small part of her wanted to say yes. The small part won. She nodded softly and Percy smiled.

"My name is Percy, and you are?" he said, extending his hand.

"Thalia," she answered, shaking his hand.

"Good to meet you Thalia."

* * *

Okay guys, I think I'm back! Thanks to everyone for being understanding about it :) So, like always, tell me what you guys thought about the chapter and if there's any mistakes, let me know :)


	12. Tetris

**12. Tetris**

"You're doing it wrong," she said as she watched him struggle helplessly.

"Am not," he complained.

"Percy, you're supposed to make them fit together, not stack them up," she said, as she saw the pieces pile up to the point of no return.

"I am!"

"You're doing it all wrong!"

"No –"

GAME OVER the machine called as it switched back to the menu. Thalia laughed and Percy let out a heavy sigh.

"I told you," she said smugly. "Who knew the all mighty Percy Jackson can't play Tetris!"

"You know… I asked you to join me to actually hang out, not criticize my gaming skills," Percy said raising his eyebrows. Thalia smirked.

"If you had any skills," she said, as she slowly turned and walked away. Percy ran after her and fell in step next to her.

"You know, I saved you from hours and hours of hard, hard homework," he said, exaggerating every word.

"Hours I'm going to have to make up when I get home," Thalia said, as she rummaged in her pocket for some tokens.

"No biggie," Percy said, as he looked around for another game to play. "Hey, you owe me a rematch." Thalia looked at him with raised eyebrows. Percy smirked and patted a racing game.

"You want to be beat again?" Thalia asked, as she plucked two tokens and shoved the rest in her pocket.

"You wish," Percy said, as he jumped into the seat and slipped the tokens in. Thalia slid into the other seat and pushed the tokens in. The thing she hadn't told Percy, and wasn't planning to, was that she was a pro at this game. Her father would bring her every Thursday night to play and even though he wasn't in the picture anymore, she still practiced. Winning the game and faintly imagining her father cheering her on. It was one of the few things she still enjoyed of her sad past.

The game started and she slammed on the gas, pulling up in front of him. Last time, he had been all about making fun, but now he was determined to win. It was a close race, each car only coming in seconds in front of the other.

"I'm winning this time!" Percy said, as he sped around a corner, almost hitting a cow. Thalia didn't say anything, but ever so slightly released pressure on the gas. Her Mustang that had been seconds in front of him, came in third.

"Ha!" Percy exclaimed as he jumped up.

"Oh darn," Thalia said, feigning defeat. She usually didn't bother letting others win, but she wasn't a cold hearted person. Percy smiled smugly, clearly unaware of her pity in letting him win. Thalia rolled her eyes and glanced at her watch. It was beginning to get late.

"Hey, I'm gonna head home. See ya," she said as she began to leave without waiting for a reply. She heard his quick footsteps behind her.

"Hey, come on. Why do you always do that?" Percy said, as he fell in step next to her.

"Do what?" Thalia asked, as she walked through the double doors of the arcade.

"Suddenly leaving without even letting people say goodbye to you," Percy said as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I don't know," Thalia lied. She never thought about it, or even really did it on purpose, but she knew why. It was all her father's fault. She knew it was stupid, but she hated it when people said bye to her. She always tried to hide her sadness whenever someone said something so simple and so common, because it reminded her too much of that fateful day that her father walked out. He didn't give her some last time advice, or soulful quote or even "I'll see you some day"; he had simply looked at her with his piercing blue eyes and said "bye" before he walked out of the door, never to be seen again. Being so young, Thalia had been deeply hurt and couldn't bear to always hear people bid a farewell to her and walk away.

Percy didn't say anything else about the subject, noting that she wasn't going to talk about it even if there was a valid reason.

"Can I walk you home?" he asked, casting a cautious glance at her. Thalia chewed on her lip, then she sighed.

"Fine, just don't be annoying," Thalia said as she shoved her hands into her pockets. She could almost hear his smile as he finally got her where he wanted her. They had walked a few minutes in silence, until Percy started to talk about his school; mostly mentioning one girl; Red. Red this and Red that.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Thalia asked, suspicious by the apparent close bond he described and the fact he had hit on Thalia before. His eyes opened wide.

"Girlfriend?! No way!" he said in disbelief and shock that Thalia had asked him such a question.

"Oh no? You certainly talk about her that way."

"Look, she's pretty and a good person, but we're definitely not together. We're friends, good friends," Percy said defensively. "And anyways, she can't date."

"Can't or won't?" Percy rolled his eyes.

"Can't. She doesn't really trust a lot of guys, mostly because a lot of them have been after her money," Percy explained.

"Money?" Thalia echoed.

"Yeah, she's rich. Minor detail," Percy said nonchalantly. Thalia snorted.

"Yeah, minor detail," Thalia echoed. Percy looked at her and smiled. When Thalia glanced at him, she caught something in his eyes she hadn't seen in a long time, so long she wasn't even sure that that was what she had seen. Thalia shook her head. _The light's just playing tricks on me._

"But anyways, she's cool, you might like her. Once I was getting bullied, I mean, this guy was huge, not to mention ugly! But that didn't stop Red from throwing her hairbrush," Percy laughed, as he recalled the day him and Red had become friends. "It was the first day we met actually."

"I'm happy for you," Thalia said dryly. They soon arrived in front of her apartment building and she walked up the steps.

"Well, have a nice night," Percy said. The sun had been setting and now his black t-shirt was tinged with the softest red and his hair seemed to shine in the remaining sunlight.

"G'night," Thalia said as she went to open the door.

"Thalia," she heard Percy call as she opened the door. She turned to find him a few inches away.

"I enjoyed today," he said softly. "Even if you were in a bad mood most of the time," he added, a playful tone in his voice. Thalia forced a smile, even though she wasn't really sure how to react to him. When he realized Thalia wasn't going to add something to what he had said, he whispered another goodnight and left; his unruly hair whirling in the wind. Thalia watched him go for a few moments, before she turned and walked into the building and up the stairs.

She couldn't get the look Percy had giving her before he left out of her head as she opened the door to the apartment. She knew he was trying to tell her something without using words but whatever it was, Thalia didn't get it and soon after, she quickly forgot about it. She walked inside to find her mother sleeping soundly on the couch. _Well, she can stay there because I'm not dragging her ass to her room_.

She put a blanket over her mother and left to sleep. She threw herself on the bed after a nice warm shower and slowly drifted off into nothingness.

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Okay, so I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and like always, tell me what you liked and disliked! Sorry if it seems kind of slow, but there's a key component in each chapter that will make a lot of sense in the end! :)


	13. Agents

**13. Agents**

The next day was like every other day. Boring. Thalia was making her way to her fourth period class, when she saw two men standing outside the door, conversing with Mr. Brunner. She awkwardly walked passed them and into her classroom and slid into her seat. This week had been a lot easier since Cindy was nowhere to be seen since yesterday and it was just plain wonderful. Thalia pulled out her things as the bell rung and Mr. Brunner wheeled in with the two men trailing behind him.

The teacher, Mr. Roberts stood up to greet him and then, with a soft nod, Mr. Brunner left as Mr. Roberts turned to the class to gather their attention. He loudly cleared his throat and raised his hands for silence, which slowly but surely he got.

"Good morning class," he said. "Today we have some visitors!" He gestured at the two police officers who nodded at their audience. "This is Agent Carter," he said, as the guy with cropped blonde hair and white-ish skin stepped forward; he wore a blue t-shirt with a black jacket over it and jeans. He had a few scars to show off on his cheek, but otherwise he seemed like a nice guy. "And Agent Rudder," he said, as the other guy, a little bit taller, chocolate skin and a nice bald head stepped forward; he wore a long sleeved wine colored shirt with jeans.

"They are going to talk about gun control and its major importance," the teacher continued. Then he narrowed his eyes at us, looking over his glasses. "I expect they'll have your full attention," he said threateningly; like they'd find themselves in detention if they did otherwise. Thalia's palms grew a little sweaty, but she told herself they were just going to talk. It wasn't that bad. So, she sat back, shoved her fists into her jacket pockets and listened as the two agents began talking. Agent Carter walked to and fro as he told us about a story when he was younger and how a gun fight had taken his last partner's life and the person who'd done it had only been sixteen.

Agent Rudder leaned against teacher's desk with his arms crossed, waiting for his turn in the presentation.

"Anyone here know how to use a gun?" Agent Carter asked and waited as kids looked at each other and stayed silent. He looked at Agent Rudder, and that was his cue. He stood up, while Agent Carter took a step back to hand him the spotlight. He pulled out a gun and a few people gasped, which made him chuckle. Thalia gripped the sides of her seat, but resisted the urge to squeeze her eyes shut.

"Don't worry. This gun was created solely for presentations. It's made of real gun material," he said, knocking the metal gun against a desk. "But it's not a real gun," he said. He began to explain the different parts of it. The safety, the bullets, all the components that made a gun.

"This presentation gun also weighs as much as a regular 9 mm gun. Anyone want to see how heavy?" he said, as kids shot their hands up. Thalia shrunk back.

"How about you?" Agent Rudder's voice sounded and when Thalia opened her eyes, he was looking right at her. A few kids turned to look at her, some expectant, others envious. Thalia's breath quickened. She wanted to refuse, but she didn't want to look like a weakling in front of the others, so she nodded and he beckoned her to the front. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and shakily walked to the front. He smiled encouragingly and Thalia tried to hide the shaking of her hands. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, including Mr. Roberts who had finally looked up from his computer.

"Here you go," Agent Rudder said as he handed Thalia the false gun. She hesitated, just staring at it.

"Come on," he smiled encouragingly. Thalia reached for the gun, her hand slightly trembling and she took a quick breath to stop the shaking. _It's not even real!_ Her fingers gripped the gun and her hand shook even more. A shiver ran through her body and the barest trace of sweat fell down her temples. She glanced at Rudder and saw him staring intently at her; like he was trying to read her thoughts.

"Yeah, it's heavy," she said quickly, handing him the gun again. He almost dropped it she let go so quickly. She turned and tried to walk confidently back to her seat. Rudder wore the slightest frown, but it disappeared so fast, most people didn't even catch it. He turned back to the rest of the class and began letting other people hold it while Thalia slumped into her chair. She lay her head down and tried to catch her breath. She felt hot and cold at the same time and she felt nauseated. After a few more stories, the first bell to signal the end of fourth period rang and the agents began bidding their farewell. Thalia looked up and saw Agent Carter walk out the door, while Agent Rudder looked serious as he whispered something to Mr. Roberts, who shot a quick glance in Thalia's direction. She wondered what that was about, but ignored it as the second bell rang and everyone stood up and left.

Thalia was able to forget for a while the shaking and trembling she'd felt in fourth period as the rest of her day dragged on. Two periods after fourth, a kid wearing a lanyard walked in with a tiny green slip. Mrs. Cinser, Thalia's math teacher grabbed the slip, read it and then walked towards Thalia's desk.

"Here you go hun," she said softly as she set down the piece of paper on her desk. Thalia read it and sighed. The school's psychologist wanted to speak with her. Thalia hated them. At first, she had been totally indifferent towards them, but when her father left her, all they asked her was how she was feeling, and thus a hatred for them was born. Even with her father still with her, Thalia usually preferred to deal with things herself, without others butting in with unwelcome curiosity. Thalia grabbed her bag and walked out of the classroom and downstairs to the office of Dr. Woodrow.

In the time it took Thalia to get to the office, she tried to control her unwillingness of going, but she knew that when Dr. Woodrow wanted something, she would get it eventually. She did so the first couple weeks during Thalia's freshmen year when Cindy had embarrassed her in lunch and Dr. Woodrow had a few curiosities that apparently only Thalia could quench. She sighed.

The door to Dr. Woodrow's office was open and Thalia softly knocked on it. The doctor looked up and smiled.

"Welcome," she said. "Come, sit," she said, gesturing to the chair next to her desk. "Close the door on your way in."

Thalia closed it, maybe a little too hard and sat down. Dr. Woodrow looked at her. Her blonde curls framed her white face and her brown/green eyes studied Thalia as she laced her fingers over her desk.

"Something you need to tell me?" Thalia asked annoyed. Dr. Woodrow placed the top of her hand under her chin as she spoke.

"Thalia, are you okay?" she asked sincerely. Thalia's eyebrows knotted.

"Of course," she replied. "Why?" Dr. Woodrow's face took on a look of concern, sadness and caution as she explained, almost hesitantly.

"I was told about your behavior in fourth period today," she said. Thalia's fingers gripped the armrest as Dr. Woodrow continued speaking. "I was told you seemed… distant?" Dr. Woodrow said, asking the last word as if Thalia would come right out and explain everything, but she remained silent.

"Thalia, you can tell me if something's wrong. That's what I'm here for," she said, giving Thalia a warm smile. Thalia leaned forward.

"Nothing's wrong," she said. Dr. Woodrow squinted her eyes slightly.

"Thalia, I'll just come right out and say it, because it seems you aren't going to tell me anything soon," she said, leaning forward on her desk. "Agent Rudder told Mr. Roberts about some concerns he had about you. Something about the way you behaved in class when you came up to the front of the class," she said, watching Thalia closely for some reaction. Thalia tensed. That's why she had seen Agent Rudder whispering with Mr. Roberts. What had he told him? Had her fear been that evident? Thalia swallowed down her doubts and tried to bring forth her façade and forced a smile.

"I'm fine Dr. Woodrow," she said, forcing every word to come out light and sincere. Dr. Woodrow looked down and leaned back.

"I want you to come by every Friday afternoon for a session," she said. Thalia stared at her in disbelief.

"Why?" she asked in shock. "I said I'm fine."

"Either way, I will see you here this Friday at 3 o'clock and every Friday after that until I say we're done," she said, taking out a pen and scribbling down in a notepad. Thalia wanted to argue, but she knew she wouldn't get her way no matter how hard she tried. She sighed and stood up. With one more glare at Dr. Woodrow she left her office.

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So, like always, tell me what you guys think! :) Thanks to the reviews, favorites and alerts! They mean a lot!


	14. Twice For Saturday

**14. Twice For Saturday**

Thalia was about to burst. She couldn't even concentrate on her classes for the rest of day, continuously cursing herself that she should've just said no in fourth period and she wouldn't have to deal with Dr. Woodrow. But of course, her pride got in the way and this was the price; a session with Dr. Woodrow every freaking Friday. Thalia was going to go mad.

"Oh, if I didn't have some kind of morals I'd kill her," Thalia mumbled as she left the school. She walked sulkily back to her apartment and as soon as she had walked in, the strong smell of cigarettes smacked her nose. Before she could even complain, she heard the sound of someone throwing up. Thalia dropped her bag and walked towards the hallway and into her mother's room.

"Mom?" Thalia called out as she reached the doorframe that led into the bathroom. Her mother was on the floor, with her head in the toilet. She lifted her head and wiped her lips with her bare arm.

"What?" she rasped as she panted from the force of hurling her guts out.

"You okay? Do you have the flu?" Thalia asked, taking a step into the bathroom. Her mother waived her hand.

"I'm peachy," she replied hoarsely. "Now leave me alone," she said. "I –" the rest of her sentence was interrupted by another fit of vomit. Thalia sighed and quickly made her way to her bedroom. This was twice her mother was throwing up. She probably has a bout of flu, so Thalia made a mental note to have the least contact with her. No need to get sick as well. She lay down on her bed, her head hanging off the end as she listened to music. She stared across her room, to the corner where her locked chest lay. Thalia reminisced about what it contained, but her memories were interrupted by a vibration on her stomach. She pulled out her earphones and answered her phone.

"Thalia speaking," she said.

"_Hey Thalia_," a voice Thalia had come to know by heart replied.

"What do you want, Percy?" she said, rolling over to lay on her stomach.

"_I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me this Saturday_." Thalia ran her hand down her face in frustration.

"Percy, I already gave you my answer. The only relationship between us, is that I am occasionally your babysitter, that's it," Thalia answered, sounding firm, but as gentle as she could as well. She didn't like him, but that didn't give her a reason to be crass.

"_Come on Thalia_," Percy's voice answered after a few seconds. He sounded pleading, but then he added with a teasing note in his voice, "_You can't deny the chemistry between us."_ Thalia smacked her forehead.

"No, Percy. Not happening," she said. "'Bye," she said, as she hung up. She chewed on her lip. _This boy is definitely persistent, I'll give him that._ Thalia stretched and was pulling her books out of her backpack for homework when her phone goes off again.

"No, I am not – oh, hi Sally," Thalia answered and closed her eyes, feeling embarrassed.

"_You all right Thalia?_" she asked, noticing Thalia's momentary outburst.

"Perfect, sorry. What is it?" Thalia asked, trying to sound happy.

"_Well, I was hoping you could babysit my kids again this Saturday._" Thalia's eyes opened wide.

"This… Saturday?" Thalia asked hesitantly and hoping it was some other Saturday.

"_Yes. See, I'm taking this test and I'm going to the library to study. I don't trust my boys will stay still, so I was hoping you'd keep an eye on them. That's not a problem, is it?"_ Thalia gritted her teeth.

"No," she said as she ground her teeth. "It's fine. What time?"

"_12 o'clock. Oh, thank you Thalia!"_

"No problem," Thalia said as she hung up, trying her best not to throw her phone. This was too much of a coincidence. She would get Percy Saturday. You could count on that.

Shaking off her anger, she started her homework with her radio blazing. She chewed on her pencil as she tried to answer her math homework and cursing herself every time she got the wrong answer.

"This sucks," she breathed. As she tried again, she heard a frustrated half-grunt/half-scream coming from down the hall. Thalia ignored it, but when she heard it for the second time she stood up and followed the noise. Her mother's door was opened and Thalia leaned against the doorframe with crossed arms. Her mother was standing in front of her dresser shirtless and trying to button up a pair of jeans. She grunted again and stomped her foot. With a frustrated sigh she pulled her jeans off and stomped into her closet.

"You all right?" Thalia asked as she watched her mother pull out clothes.

"Nothing fits!" she yelled.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing!" she yelled spinning around. She grabbed a pair of jeans that were thrown on the floor and pulled them on. She tried to button it but she must've gained enough weight where the buttons were a single hair apart. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Come on," Thalia said as she stood behind her mother, grabbed on to her jeans and buttoned them up.

"Oh, they feel tight," her mother squeaked. Thalia stood back and sat on her mother's bed.

"Seems like you've been eating more," Thalia commented as her mother pulled on a blue tee. Her mother stayed quiet and stood in front of her dresser and looked in the mirror as she put her make up on. Suddenly, Thalia almost felt like crying. She remembered sitting in the same place many years ago, watching her mother brush her hair before she took Thalia out to the park.

She would turn around to see Thalia ogling at her and she'd giggle. She would sit on the bed next to her and brush Thalia's hair as she told her how beautiful she was and recounted the day she had met her father.

"I was trying to audition for a commercial, but as soon as I had walked in, they told me the part had already been cast," she would say. "I was heartbroken, but when I had stomped my way out of the building, I had bumped into a man. A very handsome man. Your father," she smiled.

"He took me to dinner that night and well… it was pretty much bliss after that. Everything seemed to have fallen into place. I appeared in a few commercials, as if your father was my good luck charm," she said as she would braid Thalia's hair. Then, she would turn her around and cup her face.

"And not only did he give me the confidence I needed to audition… he gave me you," she would whisper and then kiss Thalia's forehead.

She could see everything as if it were that day. She could almost feel the brush passing through her hair when she felt a tear rolling down her cheek. She quickly wiped away.

"I'm leaving tonight," her mother commented as she put on her mascara. Thalia's eyes snapped up.

"Don't wait up," she said, as she grabbed her bright red lipstick. Thalia bit her tongue. Without another word she jumped off the bed and walked out of the room without sparing a second glance.

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Sups, thanks for the reviews guys! So, I hoped you liked this chapter and don't forget to tell me what you thought about it! Oh, and Happy Belated Valentines Day :P Too early or too late, can't get it right :P Till the next chapter!


	15. Tantrum

**15. Tantrum**

The sudden memories of her mother er were so overwhelming, she felt like she was choking on them. She tried to wash them away in a warm bath, but she wasn't accomplishing anything. Her eyes still threatened to spill tears and her throat still hurt from the struggle of holding them down. She held her breath and slowly slid under the foamy water. _One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi_. She pulled up and wiped the bubbly water off her face and let her head fall slack against the corner of the bathtub. She stared at the white ceiling, her mind empty of thoughts.

"_And they scream_," she mumbled softly, her words coming out uneven. "_The worst things in life come free to us. 'Cause we're just under the upper hand…_" she sighed, cutting off her soft muttering she stood up, pulled the plug of the tub and dried off. She lay in bed, staring out through her window at the stars. She thought it wasn't fair. When her father left, he had left both of them, not just her mother. What should've happened was an alliance, a bond between them that would hold them together and not desert each other just as their husband/father had done. It should've brought them closer together, not drive them so apart it's like two strangers living in the same apartment. She sighed and forced to keep her eyes closed as she slowly drifted off.

When she opened her eyes again, heavy sunlight poured into her room and for an instant she thought she was late for school. She sat up, but when she looked at her room she felt like she couldn't breathe. The walls of her room were bright blue with puffy white clouds painted around the top, with small musical lyrics dotted randomly around the walls. She had purple curtains framing her window and there was a kid's guitar leaning against a stand next to the door.

This was her old room; when she was seven years old. Her breath grew quick as she stared at what her room used to look like. Suddenly, someone called her and opened the door to her room. A black-haired woman walked in, looking so different Thalia barely recognized her.

"Mom?" she whispered.

"Get dressed, we're going to be late!" she said, as she grabbed the sheet and pulled it off Thalia. She was almost speechless as she stared at the cheerful version of what used to be her mother.

"Come on!" she urged as she turned to look into Thalia's mirror. She passed her fingers through her hair as she tried to fix the few pieces that were out of place and patted her jeans to get rid of the wrinkles.

"What's going on?" Thalia asked, as she stared at the old image of her mother. She laughed.

"Get dressed! I'm going to miss my audition! I'll make some food, but we can't be late!" she said, as she walked out of Thalia's room, leaving her bewildered, shocked and slightly afraid. Thalia slowly crawled out of her bed and walked into the kitchen. Her mother was at the stove, making scrambled eggs. She turned and poured the eggs into a plate, grabbed a fork and placed it on a small pink mat on the island.

Her mother looked at her and smiled. A feeling of love fell over her, threatening to knock her over from the force. Thalia was about to say something when her mother's eyes fixed on something behind her. Confused, Thalia turned to see an empty living room. When she turned to her mother again, she jumped back. Her mother had mascara running down her cheeks, her lips were chapped and her hair was a rat's nest.

"Mom?" Thalia whispered, daring to take a step forward. Her mother looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Go! LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled. Thalia's eyes snapped open and she was back in her old room. She was panting and she leaned on her knees as she tried to hold back her tears. In a nutshell, her dream – correction, nightmare – had been the two versions of her mother. The sweet, happy mother she had come to love, to the person she was now; cranky and drunk. Taking a deep breath, Thalia got ready and made her way to school. A cold wind ruffled her hair and she crossed her arms to contain some of her warmth. She finally walked into her school, its heat swarming around her. She walked into her first period class and the first thing she smelled was an overwhelming smell of Chanel; so much she almost gagged. Following the scent was a laugh that echoed through the classroom and Thalia knew immediately who it was. _Seems like the wicked witch of the west is back._

As she walked to her seat, she passed behind Cindy who sat sideways in her desk with her legs resting on the lap of a boy across from her. This time, Cindy ignored her, but Thalia knew that Cindy was going to come after her at some point, because sweet little Cindy never gets suspended and she would definitely rebel by pouring her anger on, you guessed it, Thalia. But instead of waiting for the impending doom, she enjoyed her ignorance.

The next four periods were normal, and like always, full of work. The bell rung and Thalia made her way to the lunch room. She always sat on the corner of the last table, as far away from people she could possibly manage. She ate her poptart in peace and pulled out her English homework. She spent the next twenty minutes thinking about where Juliet found such low-quality poison and why they couldn't wait more than a few hours before they killed themselves. Thalia glanced at her watch; ten minutes before the bell would ring. She packed up her things and left for her next class early enough to avoid the herd of teenagers that zigzagged through the halls. As she walked on the white linoleum floors on the second floor she heard voices up ahead. She slowed down and pressed herself against the wall as she peered around the corner of a hallway that branched out from the main one.

Down the hall, she saw two people. A boy, that seemed vaguely familiar, stood there with his head hung in shame, while the other, a tall blonde girl, whom Thalia immediately recognized as Cindy seemed to be scolding him. Her hands were shaking and she would occasionally stomp her foot in frustration. Suddenly, the boy raised his head, said something and then left in the other direction.

"You'll regret this!" Cindy yelled after him. With a small tantrum she spun, and stomped down the hall. Thalia took a few steps back and acted like she had just walked by. Cindy whirled around the corner and bumped into her shoulder.

"Get off me!" she complained as she stormed passed, not even noticing it was Thalia she had bumped into.

"Angry much," Thalia breathed as she turned around and left for her next class. She wondered what Cindy had been so angry about, that she hadn't even seen her. And she was curious as to who the boy was. He seemed incredibly familiar, so much Thalia kept mentally smacking herself because she knew she should remember who he was, but her mind kept drawing up blanks. With a sigh, she tried forget Cindy's scene and focus on her classes. Obviously, she wasn't remembering who the boy was and she didn't need to worry over anything concerning Cindy.

During last period, Thalia kept daydreaming about making herself some hot cocoa and snuggling up away from the cold outside to watch Ghost Rider. Her mind was somewhere else, thinking about little marshmallows floating on her hot chocolate when her teacher stood in front of her.

"Thalia," he said, and Thalia's eyes snapped up.

"What?" she asked, as she realized all eyes were on her. The teacher sighed.

"Please pay attention next time," he said, then he turned and added, "Timothy, do you remember who the fourth president of the United States was?" Thalia sighed. _Stop wandering off topic!_ When her last period was finally over, the teacher called her over to his desk before she even had time to get up and leave.

"Yes, Mr. Chiski?" Thalia said as she came up to his desk. He grabbed a green piece of paper.

"Here you go," he said, as he handed it over. Thalia read it: _Guidance Office Dr. Woodrow 3:00_

Thalia sighed. Of course, she'd forgotten today was Friday. Gritting her teeth, she walked to Dr. Woodrow's office and knocked on her door.

"Come in!" a muffled voice answered. With clear reluctance, Thalia opened the door to see Mrs. Woodrow putting her things away and preparing to ask Thalia a bunch of questions she didn't feel like answering. Thalia sat down and interlaced her fingers on her lap. Dr. Woodrow looked at her, clearly waiting for Thalia to begin, but she did nothing except look at her with her piercing blue eyes.

"Okay, I'll start," Dr. Woodrow said, leaning back in her seat and crossing her legs. "How are you?"

"Really?" Thalia scoffed. "Look, I've got nothing to say, so no matter how many questions you ask me, you're still getting the same thing; nothing."

"Thalia, I think you should at least try and talk to me. Whether it's about what happened in Mr. Robert's class –" Thalia winced at the memory, but hoped Woodrow hadn't noticed. "Or what's happening during lunch, or even back at home. Thalia, sometimes you just need to talk."

"No, I don't," Thalia retorted. "I'm perfectly fine the way I am." Dr. Woodrow looked at her sympathetically.

"Are you really?" she said softly. She gave Thalia a warm smile that fit perfectly with her curly blonde hair. Thalia hesitated. Maybe longer than she should've, but Thalia knew she was right, as much as she hated it. Woodrow knew she was far from being fine, but that didn't mean Thalia had to admit to it.

"I'm absolutely sure," Thalia replied firmly; trying to make it clear to Woodrow that the subject was no longer open for discussion.

"Well, at least you're talking back to me, so that's a start. I'll be waiting for you next Friday," she said, as she grabbed her pen and smacked the bottom against the desk. Thalia stood up to leave. She walked outside and the cold wind picked up and whirled her hair around her cheeks. She shivered as she zipped up her jacket and made her way back to her apartment.

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Thanks for the reviews/favorites/alerts guys! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please review to let me know how I'm doing :) By the way, I do not own the lyrics at the beginning of this chapter and it's A Team by Ed Sheeran. Until the next chappie :)


	16. Mischievous

**16. Mischievous**

She came home to an empty apartment. Her mother was nowhere to be seen, but she must've left not too long ago, because a cigarette was still smoldering in an ash tray. Thalia sighed. She dropped her bag by the front door and started cleaning, occasionally cursing under her breath every time she thought of her mother's irresponsibility. She swept the floors with angry strokes, drowned the furniture in febreeze and pledge. She washed the dishes, the anger of her mother and Dr. Woodrow churning inside her, making her reckless. She finished drying a plate and as she moved it to the other side of the sink to let it dry it fell out of her hand. It crashed against the floor and broke into many jagged pieces around her feet.

"Dammit!" she sighed as she felt a stinging pain around one of her ankles. She looked down and saw a stream of blood rolling down to the heel of her foot.

"Just great," she muttered as she grabbed a paper towel and cleaned her ankle. She limped to the bathroom and looked for a band-aid. She stuck it on and sat on the toilet seat as she watched the band-aid slowly suck in the blood. She closed her eyes and sighed. Taking in a big breath she stood up and walked back to the kitchen to sweep up the broken plate. As she cleaned up, her anger slowly ebbed away. As if the plate had shattered along with her anger. She finished the remaining dishes and left to unload her secret stash of candles.

"Gonna have to get some more," she muttered to herself as she lit up the last candle. The sweet smell of vanilla and lavender swirled around her and she breathed in the sweet scent. Her muscles relaxed as the candles slowly burned away. The smell always made her feel like home; like nothing was wrong or would go wrong. She walked back to the living room and plopped down on the couch pulling her feet up onto the coffee table. By now, her anger was gone and she just rested, smelling the burning glade candles when she remembered something.

"Oh! My cocoa," she squealed as she jumped up and ran to the kitchen. Okay, so she wasn't a grown up _all _the time. She pulled out a small pot, turned on the stove and poured in the hot chocolate mixture. As it warmed up, she walked into her room and changed into a more comfortable set of clothing; short dark blue cotton shorts, a white tank top and purple socks. As she walked back to her cocoa, her phone rang with a text message.

Out 2nite. Wont come home – Mom

Thalia sighed. _Guess I have the house to myself tonight._ She finished her chocolate by dropping a few small marshmallows into it. As she walked back to the couch she grabbed the DVD of Ghost Rider and plopped it in. She grabbed a folded up blanket that rested on the love seat and curled up into the crook of the couch. The apartment was cool, because of the few windows Thalia had left open and the blanket kept her warm as she slurped her hot chocolate.

"This is nice," she sighed contentedly as she snuggled into her blanket. She was at the part where they had put Johnny Blaze inside a criminal filled jail when there was a loud sound that echoed through the empty building. Thalia yelped and fell to the floor, her body shaking.

"_Why you gotta always slam the damn door like that?! No wonder the hinges are coming off!" _a muffled voice sounded from outside. Thalia was panting as she stood up shakily. Her hands trembled and she grunted in anger and silent embarrassment. _I have to stop jumping like that!_ Shaking off the scare, she sat back down and curled up again.

* * *

She opened her eyes to a room decorated in a warm late morning light. The TV was repeating on the menu of Ghost Rider and you could hear the honking of taxi cabs. She stretched and her feet kicked the other edge of the sofa. She shifted to lie on her back and closed her eyes again. Her body felt relaxed and rested and peaceful for the first time in moons. She yawned and slowly sat up and rested against the back of the sofa, her eyes half open. She looked around lazily as her scrambled brain tried to sort itself out before she was fully awake. Her eyes landed on the clock of the DVD player and her eyes opened wide.

"OH NO! I'M GOING TO BE LATE!" Thalia wailed as she jumped out of her comfortable spot and ran to her bedroom. It was 11:23 AM. She had less than an hour to get ready and make her way to Percy's apartment. She stood in front of her closet, looking for a set to wear, as she quickly disrobed. She grabbed a black t-shirt and a pair of jean Capri and threw them on the bed.

She ran into the bathroom, taking off the last of her clothes, and jumped into the shower. She washed her hair and rinsed off her body. She muttered under her breath as she jumped out of the shower, snagged a towel and plugged in the hair dryer. She ran into her room as she dried off her hair and started getting dress, bouncing against the walls as she struggled to pull her jeans up. She looked at the clock on her nightstand; 11:40 AM. Her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered quickly; exasperated.

"_Thalia, where are you? I need a ride!"_ her mother's voice came on.

"Find your own ride! I've got plans," Thalia said, hanging up, not wanting to deal with her mother's problems. _She got herself into it, she can get herself out._ Thalia finished getting dressed and dried her hair and ran out the door. She was halfway down the stairs when she remembered she hadn't eaten.

"Oooooh, I don't have time!" Thalia half whimpered, half complained as she turned back and ran out the door. As she power walked down the sidewalk, she finished buckling up her belt and slipped on her watch and studded bracelets. About ten minutes later, she arrived at Percy's building. She was about to press the buzzer when Sally burst out of the building, almost bowling Thalia over.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she gasped, but when she realized it was Thalia she added, "Thank goodness you came! I didn't have time to call someone else!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry I'm late," Thalia frowned.

"Oh don't worry dear! We're all late at least once in our lives! Now, I've got to go! I'll see you when I get back!" the last part yelled as she started walking away. Thalia walked into the building and made her way up to Percy's apartment. She knocked on the door. A minute and a "be right there" later, the door swung open.

"Hey Thalia," Percy greeted mischievously.

* * *

I'm glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter and I hope this one's just as good! Thanks for reviewing guys :) Let me know how this one came out, and if I've got mistakes, let me know! :)


	17. Gibbs & Dinozzo

**17. Gibbs & Dinozzo**

"I will make you wish you'd never been born. And believe me, I can do that!" Thalia growled. Thalia wanted to strangle him. He had taken her one Saturday; one she needed desperately. But no. She had to babysit him. She was about to burst. Who else wanted to make her life miserable? Percy just smirked and that infuriated her more; making her fingers curl into fists.

"You wouldn't touch me. You love me too much!" he said teasingly. Thalia's eyes opened wide. _Pick a word you shouldn't have said in that sentence._

"You're right," Thalia said with icy calm and Percy, himself, looked shocked and surprised by her words. "I wouldn't touch you, because that means I would have to get close to you. I'd lock you in a room and blow you up!" Percy rolled his eyes.

"Keep your claws in Thalia!"

"Make me."

"Oh come on Thalia," he whined. "I'm smart, but I'm not that smart!"

"That's true."

"That I'm smart?"

"No, the other part."

"Look," Percy said, as Thalia crossed her arms. "I didn't tell mom to call you, I really didn't. She made last minute plans to study at the library, so she called you," he said, trying to put on an honest-looking face.

"Load of baloney," Thalia said as she turned to leave. Percy grasped her arm. Thalia turned her angry blue eyes on him and pulled her arm out of his grip.

"If you leave, I'm going to get in trouble because mom'll think I sent you away!" he said, indirectly pleading that Thalia stay. Thalia looked at him and smirked.

"Fine by me," she said in a low voice. Percy looked shocked.

"You really are a cold-hearted person," he breathed in mock surprise. Then his face straightened. "No seriously! You have to stay!"

Thalia was torn between relaxing in her cozy apartment with blaring music and grill cheese and babysitting for Percy. Well, we all know which way that scale was tipping. But deep, deep, _really_ deep down, she was a helper; which is one thing that people took advantage of when she was little, so she had buried it as far as she could dig. Except somehow, sometimes, that secret characteristic of hers still came through. This seemed to be one of those hated moments. Thalia bit her lip. _If he isn't lying, I guess I should stay_ she decided reluctantly.

"Fine," she said and wondering if she's going to regret her decision afterwards.

"Grea –"

"No," Thalia interrupted. She stepped back inside the apartment with her hand up to show she was still talking and wasn't going to be interrupted. "But under my terms. Which means: no cartoons, no music, NO twister! No pranks, no candy and no flirting!" Thalia said, adding extra emphasis on "flirting".

"No cartoons?" Percy pouted.

"No cartoons."

"Fine, fine. I can live a day without Spongebob," Percy muttered as he turned around and walked into the kitchen.

"But you'll pay, 'cause today they were giving the one where Spongebob creates his bubble buddy!" Percy called from the kitchen.

"I won't be able to live with myself," Thalia said sarcastically. She closed the door behind her and dropped her bag next to it. She walked to their living room and sat down on the couch. It seemed awfully homey and normal, with a coffee table with brown coasters and the tiniest vase, about the size of Thalia's palm, with a stem of fake grapes falling down its purple side. Thalia felt a twinge of sadness as her gaze swept over their apartment. If her mother ever decided to clean up her act, this could all be theirs as well. They could be living happy, because they don't need a huge house or a million bucks to be so. She poked the grapes and they jiggled under her touch.

"We've got some real ones if you want any," she heard Percy say teasingly and she sat back, sending him a scowl as his head poked behind the kitchen wall. He smirked and disappeared again as Thalia reached for the remote, but she felt like something was missing…

"Where's Nico?" she asked as she pulled her feet up onto the coffee table.

"He went out with some friends," Percy answered. "I think they went to the arcade." Thalia didn't say anything, but she was silently happy. That meant one less kid to keep an eye on. She flipped through the channels, looking for something at least semi-decent. She had landed on NCIS when she heard footsteps emerging from the kitchen.

"I hope you like cheese," Percy said as he walked out with two white plates filled with macaroni and cheese. "And I hope you're hungry." Thalia's stomach grumbled when she saw the food, but her pride was too much. She wasn't going to be fed. She wasn't here to socialize and make friends. She was here because his mother asked her to be here. He wasn't going to woo her with food; unless maybe it was buffalo wings, and even that's iffy.

"Nope. Ate before I came," she said as she put her hands behind her head and watched Gibbs smack Dinozzo… again. He ran back to the kitchen and grabbed two coke cans from the kitchen table.

"Yeah, sure, that's why I can hear your stomach growling in the kitchen," Percy teased. Thalia squinted her eyes at him. He was getting on her nerves for sure. She wanted to smack him so much.

"You look cute when you scrunch up your nose," he said.

"YOW!" he yelped, as Thalia's hand came at a hundred miles an hour and smacked him behind the head. Flirting seemed like a good enough reason to get hit. Thalia was angry enough with him that her cheeks didn't blush.

"What was that for?!" he said, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Muscle spasm," Thalia said nonchalantly, as she pulled her feet down and scooted to the other side of the couch.

* * *

Well, I hope this chapter came out good and that you guys enjoyed it. I feel it a little bit choppy, but I'm not sure. Lend me your thoughts and also tell me if you thought it was funny, cause I was trying to aim for that :P Thanks guys :)


	18. A Shocking Disaster

**18. A Shocking Disaster**

"I just feel like you have a lot of pent up anger," Percy commented playfully. Thalia rolled her eyes. She finished washing the first dish and handed it to Percy, who started drying it off.

"You are a real pain Percy," Thalia said, as she started washing the second plate. Percy chuckled.

"And how does that make you feel?" Percy said, doing his best "therapist" voice. Thalia was about to smack him again if he didn't shut up.

"Shut up Percy." He chuckled again. Thalia finished the second plate and gave it to Percy. She dried off her hands and walked to the kitchen to table to throw out the soda cans. She grabbed them, poured any remaining soda into the sink and threw them out. On instinct, she grabbed another cup from the table to throw it out, but paused before she dropped it into the trash can. It was a Starbucks cup, and an evil thought grew in the back of her mind. These plastic cups were known to shock people with static electricity, and Thalia had been shocked herself a few times when she'd buy coffee there. And let's be honest, it was pretty tempting and Percy deserved it. Trying to suppress an evil smile she rubbed her hands efficiently around the cup until she could almost feel the static charge coursing through her hands, then left it in the trash. She walked back towards Percy nonchalantly, trying not to look guilty and then touched his arm.

"Ow!" Percy complained as he rubbed his arm. He spun to look at Thalia and his expression was just too funny. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh yeah?" Percy scoffed. He turned the faucet on, and Thalia realized what was happening almost immediately. She jumped back, as Percy slung a handful of water at her.

"PERCY!" she yelled, as the front of her shirt was soaked in water. Percy guffawed.

"You think that's funny?" Thalia said, but Percy was laughing too hard to answer her. _Oh, he's going to regret that. _She ran over to the pot of macaroni they hadn't put away yet, scooped up a spoonful and flung it towards Percy. The sticky macaroni got caught in his hair and clothes and his face wore the expression of shock.

"Oh no you didn't," he said as he ran towards her, ready to wreak his revenge.

"No, no, no!" Thalia yelled as Percy grabbed some mac and cheese with his hand smashed it into her hair. Half shocked and half laughing, Thalia reached for an open soda can Percy had opened before they had started washing the dishes and poured it over his head. Already drenched in soda, Percy reached up and grabbed her, twisting her hand, so she poured half the soda on herself as well. Thalia gasped as the liquid slid down her hair and into her clothes. Pepsi pooled around their feet and splashed onto the cabinets as they ran around the kitchen throwing things at each other. Laughter filled the air, as Thalia grabbed a white paper bag and threw it at Percy. Sadly, it was left over flour from a cake Sally had been making. The bag opened and showered Percy in white powdered pureness. The flour stuck to him 'cause of the soda he was drenched in.

Thalia laughed hard as she stared at Percy.

"You look like a powdered doughnut!" she laughed. Percy grabbed a small salt shaker, twisted it open and poured it on Thalia.

"And you look like a salty pretzel!" he laughed.

"Ugh! I got salt in my mouth!" Thalia complained as she spit into the sink. Percy guffawed. Thalia grabbed a cup from the other side of the sink and filled it with water. She spun and chucked the water.

"Gah!" Percy sputtered in surprise. Thalia laughed. Percy blinked away the water and grabbed another handful of macaroni and threw at her.

"Ah!" Thalia screamed in surprise as the chunk of macaroni fell on her face. As she tried to wipe it away, leaving cheese streaks across her face, Percy tackled her.

"OOF!" Thalia said, as she landed back first onto the pool of Pepsi. The soda soaked up into her clothes, wetting her back and legs. They kept laughing, but they fell silent as Thalia opened her eyes and green met blue. Percy's face was wet, with white powdered clumps here and there with cheese streaks across his cheeks and his hair was a thousand times messier than ever, covered in cheese and flour. Thalia stared into his eyes. There was that look. The look she had seen several times before, but always thinking it was a trick of the light. But she couldn't use that excuse anymore. She couldn't put a word to it. Probably because it had been too many years since she'd last seen it.

She was knocked out of her thoughts when they heard keys jingling at the door. Thalia's eyes opened wide. They jumped up.

"Shit!" Percy cursed, as they stared at the disaster they had created. Thalia's heart hammered. What would Sally do? They could hear footsteps getting louder, but there was no time to clean up. Thalia tried to brace herself for Sally's anger. But her muscles relaxed when it was Nico who rounded the corner and into the kitchen. Percy sighed in relief. Nico had his head bowed and he seemed to be lost in thought when he stepped into the soda. He halted, mumbling over have stepping into the soda. When he lifted his head, he stared in shock at the kitchen.

"What in the world happened here?" Nico asked in shock. "What happened to you guys?" he asked, as his gaze travelled between Percy and Thalia, who wanted to crawl in a corner and die of embarrassment. She was mentally smacking herself for letting herself get caught in this food fight. She couldn't believe how much of a kid she had acted. Percy chuckled nervously.

"Long story," he answered, then he studied Nico a little more closely. "What's wrong with you?" Percy asked him, walking towards him to get closer. Nico took a step back.

"Nothing Percy," he said angrily.

"I know you too well for it to be nothing," Percy said, trying to reach out to Nico.

"Just leave me alone Percy," Nico said, as he turned and walked away.

* * *

I'm really glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter :) Sorry if this chapter seems kind of short, but the next one will hopefully be longer :P So, tell me what you think and I hope you liked it! :)


	19. Towel

**19. Towel**

Thalia wasn't sure what she should do. She wasn't good at comforting or being very emotionally polite. So what could she do? Well, what she's always done; forget about it.

"Sorry about that, but maybe we should clean up the kitchen," Thalia said. She didn't know at what time Sally would arrive, and she was nervous she'd find the kitchen a rotting mess. But Percy didn't respond. He had tried talking to Nico, but he seemed intent on staying locked up in his room. Percy was standing there, clearly thinking about something Thalia didn't understand. Thalia touched his arm.

"He's not coming out," she said, as Percy turned to look at her with clouded eyes. She knows he won't. She's done the same act herself too many times to know that asking will only keep that door locked longer.

"Fine," Percy sighed. Although Thalia wasn't crazy about him, she wasn't heartless. Percy's dampened mood was reaching her as well. She wasn't going to hug him or tell him everything's all right, because clearly something was up, but she could keep her snide comments to herself for a while. Percy shuffled back to the kitchen and started to throw out the left over macaroni from the pot. In silence, Thalia grabbed the dishes they had washed and washed them again, because they were now covered in cheese and flour. About five minutes into the cleaning, Percy came over and stood next to Thalia.

"Sorry I'm in such a stink mood. It's just that I love Nico, and I hate seeing him like this," he said, as he sprayed Clorox onto the counter.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Thalia said as she dried off the dishes. She was silently hoping he wouldn't continue. She wasn't one for talking about feelings and she couldn't even relate because she didn't have a brother or sister, even though sometimes she wished she had.

"On the other hand, you stink like food," he commented, nudging her elbow with his.

"Look who's talking!"

"Hey, I smell like roses!"

"Rotten ones, perhaps," Thalia said, as she slid the newly washed dishes into the cabinets. Percy blew raspberry at her and started wiping down the counter. They spent the next twenty minutes trying to get the kitchen to "shine bright like a diamond!" (If you got that, hooray for you!)

"Finally, we're done!" Percy exclaimed, throwing himself onto the kitchen table chair.

"Not quite," Thalia said. Percy looked at her in confusion. Thalia rolled her eyes. "Percy, you still look like a doughnut!"

"Oh… gotcha, be back," he said as he stood up and ran into the bathroom. As Percy cleaned himself up, she looked for a mirror to see just how horrendous she looked. When she found one, she made a face at what she saw in the mirror. Her hair was sticking up with dried cheese and she had flour on clothes from where Percy had touched her. Her clothes were drenched in water and Pepsi and she had cheese streaks on her face like she was some kind of Indian cheese warrior.

"Oh gods, I look like Tonto from the Lone Ranger," she murmured as she looked at her face. It was like a clown threw up on her. But she had to admit that this food fight had better skills at putting on make-up than she ever had. She walked back to the kitchen and waited, like she could really do much else. Her fingers thrummed against the hard wooden table, until they made a barely recognizable beat. Almost in a trance, she pulled up both hands and slowly and softly started to hit the table.

"_I don't know why she's with me. I only brought her trouble since the day she met me_," she breathed so softly it almost sounded like the wind singing outside. She stopped abruptly and jumped when she heard a door open. Her heart hammered, but with a long sigh, she pulled her nerves back under control.

"Yo Thalia," she heard Percy call before he walked into the kitchen.

"Oh my gods," Thalia muttered as she looked away. He had come out with a towel wrapped around his waist and a smaller one drying his wet hair. _Must really want to show off._

"You can take a shower. I can lend you some clothes," he said, as he walked past her and grabbed something from a cabinet.

"Boy's clothes?" Thalia asked.

"Oh, you use girl's clothes?" he said, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Bite me."

"Gladly," Percy retorted cheerfully.

"Ugh."

"No, you can use some of mom's clothes," he said, as he started to walk to his room. Thalia's eyes widened. _His mother's clothes?!_ She jumped up.

"Percy!" she hissed. He poked his head back into the kitchen. "I can't use your mother's clothes!"

"Sure you can. She'll understand. No worries," he added when he saw Thalia's expression of shock, embarrassment and anger. "It's just until your stuff is washed." He left before Thalia could protest. She groaned into her hand as she slunk back into her chair. She couldn't wear Sally's clothes! Was he nuts? But when she looked back down at her clothes, she chewed on her lip. _Only until my clothes is washed._

She walked into the bathroom and folded neatly on the toilet seat was a pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt. Locking the door behind her (and checking a few times to make sure it was securely locked) she disrobed and stepped into the shower. The water was nice and warm and she started to feel clean again as the flour, cheese, salt and soda, and who knows what else, slid down her body and down the drain. She stepped back out, dried off and carefully put on Sally's clothes. She felt like if she wasn't extra careful it would rip into pieces.

The smell of candy drifted off her clothes and Thalia breathed it in, feeling a light sense of happiness. Once she had made sure that she had washed away every trace of their food fight, she walked outside. It was silent and Thalia was worried Percy was going to play some sort of prank on her after she had clearly stated he was forbidden to do.

"Percy?" she called out carefully.

"Over here!" his voice rang out. She tried to pinpoint where it came from and started to walk in that direction. He was throwing clothes into the washing machine, namely his and hers. She jumped forward and grabbed his hand before he could continue.

"Are you nuts?! You don't put black and whites together!" she chided as she pulled out Percy's white t-shirt. "You're lucky I was here or you'd end up with a grey t-shirt instead."

"You're my hero," he said sarcastically as he finished throwing the rest in, added the detergent and pressed start. Thalia rolled her eyes and walked back into the living room. She heard keys jingling at the door and when it swung open, Sally walked in. Thalia bit her lip. Would she scold Thalia for wearing her clothes?

She walked in and stopped in front of Thalia. She was about to say something when she noticed what Thalia was wearing.

"I'm really sorry I'm wearing your clothes! It's just that mine got extremely dirty and Percy said -"

"Calm down," Sally laughed. "Honey I'm not mad. You're welcome to use my clothes if you need to. Percy told me what happened, it's okay" she chuckled. Thalia sighed in relief.

"And besides, I always wanted to share clothes with a daughter. You aren't my daughter, but it's second best," Sally said soothingly, before she walked into the kitchen. Thalia forced a laugh as Sally left, but she trailed off as she disappeared. She was rooted to where she stood. Did she just say daughter? Thalia wasn't even sure how to react. A sudden coldness settled in her stomach. Sally, whom she hardly knew, considered her more of a daughter than her mother ever had.

* * *

Sorry if the chapters seem short! It's just where I feel like stopping them, lol. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter and thanks so much for the reviews! They really help me and inspire me to keep writing :) Until the next chappie.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics Thalia "breathes so softly it's almost like the wind was singing outside". They belong to Walk Away by The Script.**

Also, just in case someone didn't get my reference "shine bright like a diamond" (which I'm sure everyone got!) Is a new (and I guess annoying) song by Rihanna. AND "blows raspberry" is that farting sound you do when you stick your tongue out and blow.

Thanks guys! *blows raspberry* :P


	20. Boulevard of Broken Dreams

**20. Boulevard of Broken Dreams**

"Well, thanks for the pay Sally. I've gotta be going," Thalia said, as she shoved her pay into her bag.

"Already?" Sally said, as she set up the kitchen table for dinner.

"Oh yeah, I have to get home," Thalia said, as she slowly backed away towards the front door.

"You should hang out for a while," Percy said, as he noisily munched on a blue cookie; crumbs piling up on his lap. Thalia glared at him. She had stayed here long enough; waiting for her clothes to come out of the dryer. She didn't need to spend any more time than necessary.

"Mom will be worried about me," Thalia lied and Percy raised his eyebrow. He probably knew she was lying, but she couldn't be sure. She bid a farewell and quickly made her way out the door before either of them could stop her. A warm breeze wrapped around her as she walked down the sidewalk. With every passing week, the climate was getting warmer and warmer. Summer would be around the corner before she knew it. And so would graduation.

Thalia shuddered. She still had no idea what she was going to do with her life. She didn't have enough money – or support – to go to college, so all she could do was probably find some job at a fast food restaurant and hope for the best; though the best was at least a job at a retail store. Thalia sighed. If her parents hadn't turned their backs on her, she would be thinking about what college she was going to, instead of what fast food she was going to work at. She pulled out her headphones and pulled them on, blasting up her music as she walked through New York.

She swayed as Boulevard of Broken Dreams played on repeat. She could feel the beat seep into her bones and the music ring inside her head until it pummeled every other thought and left her singing along silently to the words that kept her from losing her mind. She mouthed the chorus as she stared at the cracks and stains on the sidewalk, her hips swaying a little more than they normally would when she walked.

She walked into her apartment to find her mother munching on cashews at the island in the kitchen. She didn't stop to greet her, she just walked into her room and lay down on her bed. It was already five o'clock so she pulled up her backpack from beside her bed and pulled out her homework.

"_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me. My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_," she began to sing softly as she wrote down some questions for history class. Her foot started to swing to the beat, until she closed her eyes during the solo. She took a deep breath.

"_I walk this empty street on the boulevard of broken dreams. Where the city sleeps… And I'm the only one and I walk a- my shadow's the only one that walks beside me! My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_," she sang a little louder, until she could feel the music coursing through her veins. She jumped up from her bed, the length of her headphones straining to reach her, until they slid off her ears and wrapped around her neck.

"_Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me –"_ she stopped when she heard her voice ring out through her room and she covered her mouth. She looked in her mirror and slowly sat down. Her breathing grew a little heavier as the distant music blared out of her headphones. When was the last time she had really sung? It had been so long ago, she couldn't even remember. Her throat felt weird as she pulled her knees up and held her head between them.

"Thalia?" she heard her mother call out hesitantly as her door slowly creaked open. Thalia's head snapped up to look at her mother.

"What?" Thalia asked a little bit irritated, wondering what her mother wanted.

"Was that – Did you – Did you sing?" she asked, surprised, but the slightest bit hopeful. Thalia suddenly felt guarded.

"No," she lied.

"Oh, okay," she said, before she glanced at Thalia one more time and left. Thalia wondered what that was all about, but she quickly pushed it out of her mind as she scooted back into her bed, pulled her headphones back on and finished her homework.

* * *

Thalia opened her eyes to blinding sunlight. She moaned as she covered her face. She was lying down with her head on the opposite side of the bed and her calculus textbook on her stomach. She sat up and blinked a few times to get her bearings. She looked across the room, squinting her eyes at her clock; 9:34 AM. At least she didn't wake up too late.

She threw her school stuff off her and followed with her morning routine of taking a shower, brushing her teeth and eating breakfast.

She was sitting on the couch eating some fruit loops when her mother stumbled into the living room. She was about to sit down when she whimpered.

"I have to pee again," she almost cried as she dragged herself back into the hallway. All righty then. Thalia finished watching an episode of 48 hours and walked to her room to change into a different set of clothes. She was due to walk the Robinsons' dogs again today. She changed into a light blue tank top, blue jeans and black and silver Reeboks. With a satisfying stretch, she left the apartment calling out a "bye" out of courtesy.

Fifteen minutes later, she arrived at the Robinsons' building. Thalia pressed the buzzer and without asking, they opened the door. She walked up to their apartment and knocked on their door.

"Morning Thalia!" Mr. Robinson greeted her.

"Good Mo- oof!" Thalia slammed against the wall as Rusty jumped out and knocked into her. After she regained her breath she grabbed his head and started scratching behind his ears.

"You must've gotten bigger!" Thalia cooed as she passed her fingers through his golden fur. She heard a loud yap and turned to see Pink scratching at her ankles.

"Wow, they are hyper today!" Thalia exclaimed as she made use of both her hands and scratched both their heads.

"Oh yeah, we couldn't take them out yesterday afternoon. So they've been cooped up all afternoon, night and morning," Mr. Robinson chuckled.

"Oh, you must be itching to run!" Thalia chuckled as she ducked away from Rusty's lolling tongue. There was another high pitched barking and coming out from behind Rusty was Ziggy, their Chihuahua.

"Hey Ziggy!" Thalia said as she picked him up and rubbed his head. She looked up.

"Is Mrs. Robinson here today?" Thalia asked. Mr. Robinson cleared his throat.

"Sorry, is Luna here today?" Thalia chuckled.

"Not right now. Luna's cousin had an accident yesterday and we had to cancel my birthday party and move it to today. Would you like to come?"

Thalia mulled it over. She had called them to let them know she wasn't coming when Sally had called for the babysitting. She had wanted to come, since they had celebrated her birthday once, when her mother had forgotten, and she wanted to repay the favor. She hadn't been able to yesterday, but today was promising. Besides walking their dogs and doing a quick grocery stop, she was free for the entire day.

"Yeah sure, what time?"

"Two o'clock."

"Yep, I can make that," she said, as she gathered the dogs' leashes in her hand.

"That's great! I'll let Luna know!" he smiled, as he waved goodbye and closed the door.

* * *

Thanks a lot for the reviews guys! :D Makes me want to squeal sometimes, lol! Well, I hope this chappie came out well. Let me know what ya guys thought!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics (italized) Thalia sang up top. It's Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day.**

And the new photo cover of this story belongs to me! :)


	21. Convincible

**21. Convincible**

She spent the next twenty minutes walking the dogs around the block, Rusty pretty much pulling her the whole way.

"Rusty! Calm down!" Thalia pleaded, as she took long strides to keep up with him, occasionally picking up Ziggy and pushing him forward. Well hey, it's not his fault he's got such short legs.

The sun was shining strongly, and the cold wind that had wafted through the buildings just a few days ago was long gone. She could feel the heat seeping through her clothes and her feet were growing hotter because of her heavy shoes.

"Okay guys, it's getting kind of hot. Time to head home," Thalia panted as she pulled them to halt. All three dogs had their tongues out, panting. She hauled them back to the Robinsons' apartment. They ran up the steps and she wondered how they could still have so much energy while she slowly moved up, dragging each step.

Rusty barked, with Ziggy and Pink following and before Thalia had reached the door, Tim was already walking out to greet them.

"Wow, you guys are hot!" Tim exclaimed as rubbed their heads.

"Just a tinsy bit hot outside," Thalia said sarcastically. Tim chuckled.

"Would you like to stay here before the party? We've got cold drinks," Tim said, as he shooed the dogs indoors.

"Well, I have to do some groceries first. Is that okay?" Thalia said, as she ran her fingers through her scorching hair.

"Yeah sure, just don't be late!" Tim joked. Thalia rolled her eyes playfully and left to do her chore of the day. She had thrown out all the expired food and hadn't been able to go shopping yet. She took the time she had left before the party to get it done. She saluted a farewell and made her way to a small grocery store on the corner of where she lived. She walked inside feeling the cool air conditioned air bathe her skin. That felt good. She grabbed a basket and started to raid the isles.

She had already gathered poptarts and soup when she heard someone behind her.

"He- hey! Long time, no see!"

With an irritated sigh, Thalia turned around. Standing there was a boy about two inches shorter than her with dark curly hair and elfish ears. For a moment, she didn't recognize him, but then sudden realization hit her.

"Leo," she said.

"That's my name, don't wear it out!" he said cheerfully. Thalia rolled her eyes and turned back to pick which cheese she wanted. _Pepperjack or regular?_ Leo stepped in beside her.

"You never came back to detention," he commented. "Greased up the old Brunner, huh?" Thalia shot him a glance.

"Not quite," she said absently as she reached for the pepperjack cheese.

"Well, I missed you," he said as he leaned forward and studied the ham, licking his lips as if he could already see it steaming on his plate.

"Uh-huh."

"What got ya in there in the first place?" he asked, as he started to make a small house out of the cheese stacks.

"Any particular reason you're still here?" Thalia asked annoyed as she turned to look at the jugs of milk when she bumped into someone.

"Whoops," Thalia said, as she backpedalled and began to walk around the person she'd bumped into.

"Thalia!" a familiar woman's voice exclaimed. Thalia looked up to see dark brown curls framing a beautiful face with big brown eyes.

"Luna!"

"Nice to see you! Are you coming to the party?" she asked with a warm smile.

"Oh yeah, just had a few chores to do beforehand," Thalia said, as she gestured to the basket full of her basic necessities. Luna nodded and then her gaze travelled behind Thalia.

"Are you her friend?" she asked politely and Thalia closed her eyes and sighed. Before she could answer, Leo stepped forward and spoke for her.

"Yep!" he answered proudly as he spared a sideways glance at Thalia.

"I'm Luna, you are?" she asked, as she stretched out her hand to shake his. Thalia was horrified. _He isn't my friend! Oh why God!_

"Leo."

"That's a nice name. You're welcome to come to the party. It's my husband birthday," Luna smiled. Thalia's eyes opened wide.

"No!" she blurted out.

"I'd love to!" Leo said, ignoring her. Luna shot an amused glance at Thalia.

"That's great! I'll see you there then. Well, I have to go. Got some appetizers to prepare!" she chuckled as she walked away. Thalia was so angry her face was as red as a tomato.

"I didn't invite you!" she growled, turning on Leo.

"No, she did," he said, throwing his thumb in the direction Luna had walked away.

"Doesn't mean I want you around me!"

"Oh come on, you don't even know me!"

"That's the point! And I don't plan on _getting_ to know you!" Thalia said exasperated. She spun on her heel and stormed away. Leo ran up to her.

"Okay fine, but if I don't go now, she'll be asking you a lot of questions about why. And you seem like the type of person who hates questions."

Thalia turned on him, making him skid to a halt so he wouldn't bump into her. He raised his hands in surrender.

"Just saying."

Thalia thought about it. He was partly right, but why couldn't she just make up some lame excuse about why "he couldn't come"? It's not like anyone's going to miss him. No. She didn't have a choice in spending time with Percy, because she had to babysit him. But she had a choice this time. And her answer was no.

"No." She turned to walk away. "And don't follow me!" she yelled, as she stomped away.

She finished her groceries, paid for them and walked to her apartment to drop them off. She was beginning to get tired. She hadn't been able to sit down and just rest. She was even tempted to stay home and not go to the party, but she'd promised. And she kept her promises.

* * *

She put her groceries away as she softly hummed. She felt kind of peaceful as she took her time putting things away. Milk in the fridge, bread on top of the microwave, cereal in the cabinet.

"Thalia?" she heard her mother call from the hallway. Thalia sighed.

"What?" she answered irritably.

"Can you give me some –" the rest of her sentence was cut off as she ran to trash can in the kitchen and threw up. Thalia made a face as she heard her mother barfing. _Guess her flu hasn't gone away._ She finished organizing the refrigerator and stood up, flexing her knees after kneeling for a little bit too long.

"You all right?" Thalia asked unsympathetically as her mother grabbed a paper towel and wiped her mouth. She chuckled weakly.

"Just the flu," she rasped as she opened the fridge and pulled out a beer can.

"And yet you have enough energy to still drink," Thalia said sarcastically as she packed all the grocery bags into one. Her mother snorted.

"I always have enough energy to drink," she said, as she walked to the living room and plopped down onto the couch.

"Glad to know," Thalia said under her breath as she re-arranged the flowers of the island's centerpiece. She quickly cleaned the counters and island, washed her hands and grabbed her bag.

"I'm heading out. Try not to make a mess," Thalia said as she walked out the door. She took a deep breath. No matter how much Thalia told herself she didn't care about her, she still got under her skin. She wished everyday that she could just knock some sense into her. But of course, that would be considered assault. Rules nowadays. She stomped her way back to the Robinsons. She pressed the button, but instead of answering, they simply buzzed her in. She walked up the stairs and stopped at their door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to pull over a façade. A mask to cover the pain her mother brought her every day.

With a fake but convincible smile, she knocked and the door swung open.

* * *

Well, thanks again for reading my story. I never imagined to get so many views and such! Well, I hope this chapter came out well and like always, lend me your thoughts! I promise I'll give'em back :)


	22. Let Me Be Wrong

**22. Let Me Be Wrong**

"I'm glad you could make it!" Luna greeted. "Where's your friend?" she asked, as her eyes quickly drifted behind Thalia, expecting to see the annoying elfish boy (Thalia's words!).

"Couldn't make it," Thalia shrugged.

"Pity. I made too many muffins!" Luna joked, as she stepped aside and let her in. The room was as busy as a beehive. There were people of all shapes and sizes walking around, raiding the hors d'oeuvres and fruit punch and crowding the couch in front of the TV. Thalia walked around uncomfortably as Luna departed to bring out more muffins. She looked for a nice empty corner to stay until the party was over. As she settled at one of the vacated tables, she looked around the room. She couldn't really see anyone of her age, just kids no older than ten years old, not that she would talk to them anyways. She just didn't want to be the only teenager in the room.

She puffed as she rested her cheek against her palm. Her short nails tapped the wooden table as she stared off into the distance.

"She looks ugly with that spiky hair! OW!"

"Don't be mean!"

"Well it's true…" Thalia heard a couple of kids whispering behind her. Normally she wasn't mean, but her boredom was taking hold. She spun around and stared at the kids with blazing blue eyes. The two girls who had been whispering gulped and power walked back to their mother who was sitting on the couch watching a football game. Thalia turned back, smiling at herself, and started doodling on the table.

"Brats," Thalia murmured under her breath as she imagined drawing a spaceship and watching it take off when suddenly, the chair next to her squeaked.

"Hi," a voice said. Thalia looked up to see a pretty geeky boy with acne and the beginnings of a beard. He looked young and old at the same time. It was kind of hard to tell his age. Thalia gave one those "hi, but I don't want to talk" smiles, and went back to doodling.

"How old are you?" he asked. Thalia looked up. He wasn't getting the clue that she didn't feel like talking.

"Why is that relevant?" she retorted. The boy shrugged.

"What's your name?" he said, taking a bite of an apple he plucked from the centerpiece of the table. She rolled her eyes.

"Thalia."

"Nice name," he said, taking another bite, juice rolling down his chin. "I'm Grover."

"Hello Grover," Thalia said unenthusiastically.

"Hmm, you seem upset," he said through a mouthful of apple.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Thalia sighed, as she put her head on her arms. She felt a tap on her arm, and she peeked through her unruly hair.

"Want a cupcake?" he asked, as he held a vanilla cupcake with purple frosting on it.

"What the hell," Thalia said as she grabbed it and used her fingers to whip up the frosting and eat it.

"So, what are you to the Robinsons'?" Thalia asked, as she licked the last of the frosting off the top.

"Mrs. Robinson donates money to this orphanage I live at," he answered normally. "She would come to volunteer and I'd help her. We became friends, and then she-" he paused to lick frosting off his third cupcake. "she invited me to the party." Thalia felt a little bit sad that he was an orphan. She was lucky she had had parents, but half the orphans lose their parents to the other side or are abandoned. She didn't want to know what had happened to Grover, so she didn't ask. Grover glanced at her.

"I don't have one of those sappy stories, by the way," he said, as if he had read her mind. He rolled his eyes playfully. "Everyone thinks that. They think I live a terrible life, but I really don't. I live with a bunch of my brothers. Well, not blood brothers, but I consider them brothers. Yeah, my mother died when I was born and my father sort of disappeared, but I don't feel bad about it."

"Don't you miss them?" Thalia couldn't help asking. All she could think about were her parents and though she'd never admit it, she missed them. She missed her absent father and the person her mother used to be. Guess you could say she was orphaned in a twisted way. Grover smiled.

"I'll always miss them, but me and my brothers believe in reincarnation. My parents could be in this very room right now," he smiled, as he casted a quick glance over the crowd of people. Thalia admired him in a very quiet way. If only she could believe in something like that.

"And it's a fun life right now anyways!" he continued. "Since most of us can't drive on our own or anything, we get to take care of this huge strawberry field. Sounds like a bore, I know. But I love it!" he said happily, with a dreamy look in his eyes as if he could see the plump strawberries before him right now. "Not to mention it keeps our orphanage afloat," he added as he took another bite of his cupcake.

"Sounds like fun," Thalia said. She realized her muscles, that were usually wound up around people, were nice and relaxed and she actually felt comfortable with him; lshe had known him for a long time. _Must be his secret super power or something._

She spent the next hour talking to him about completely random things. Starting one conversation, but going completely off topic a few minutes later.

"And that's why unicorns are real!" he said slamming the table proudly.

"No way. I'm telling you, it wasn't even a horse! It was a buck with one antler," Thalia countered. Grover rolled his eyes. Thalia actually chuckled, and she felt pretty weird about it too. He grabbed another cupcake and was shoving it into his mouth when Luna called out for people to gather. They stood up and joined the crowd as Luna fought to light the candles on Tim's blue cake. After a corny song, which Thalia didn't sing to, Luna and Tim and some random person started passing out cake. Thalia refused, but Grover grabbed it greedily.

"How can you still eat?!" Thalia asked as she watched Grover stuff his face in disgust. Grover laughed, a pretty weird laugh, and stole another piece of cake. She spent the next twenty minutes watching Grover eat until she grew tired. She glanced at her watch; 6:34 PM.

"I'm gonna head out. I'll see ya some time Grover," she said. She heard a muffled bye as she walked to find Luna and let her know she was leaving.

Grabbing her bag, she left their building and headed back home. She listened to her music as she strolled down the street. The sun was just about to dip behind the buildings, tinting the sky a brilliant orange. Thalia watched as the colors transformed so smoothly you barely noticed it. After a few minutes, the orange turned into a bright pink, then the pink started to disappear, revealing a darkening blue, already dotted with small stars.

She made it home to find her mother plopped on the couch. She was staring blankly at the ceiling with a hand resting on her bloated stomach. There was an open beer can on the coffee table, with pieces of pineapple lying around. Dropping her bag, Thalia walked over to her mother and kneeled down next to the couch.

"Ma, you okay?" Thalia asked. Her mother's eyebrows creased.

"My stomach hurts," she said softly.

"Do you need pepto?" Thalia asked, but her mother shook her head and reached for the beer can. Thalia watched in her thickening depression as her mother drank. Her mother sighed and put the beer back on the table and Thalia just stood up and walked to the kitchen. What is it going to take for her mother to realize what she's doing? But Thalia sighed when she realized her mother probably knew. And that she's doing all this on purpose, just trying to numb the pain of her missing love. _If only you'd realize I'm here for you._

She was rummaging through the fridge for the jug of milk when her mother ran past her, almost knocking her into the fridge and puked into the trash can. _Okay, this must be some hell of a flu_. But a cold feeling crawled up her back as another thought barged into her mind. _Please no…_

Thalia walked over to her mother and held her hair, waiting for her fit to pass. When it did, her mother stumbled back and sat on one of the stools of the island.

"Ugh," she moaned as she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Mom?" Thalia called. Her mother didn't answer, she was too busy swallowing the bile that kept coming up her throat.

"Mom!" Thalia said a little louder and her mother looked up.

"What?" she asked irritably. Thalia took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for whatever the outcome.

"When was your last period?" Thalia asked hesitantly.

"What?" Her mother asked absently.

"When. Was. Your last period?" Thalia asked again, beginning to get impatient.

"I don't know. Christmas?" Her mother answered sloppily. Thalia's blood ran cold. _Please! No!_

"Mom, I need you to think hard, okay? This is important. When?" Thalia said seriously, hoping that this was just an effect of the alcohol.

"Gah! Christmas!" her mother said exasperated as she jumped off the stool and walked back to the living room. Thalia grabbed her hair. Her back touched the fridge and she slid down to the floor. They were already in March. _I should've known! The throwing up, the gaining weight, the cravings!_

"No, please," Thalia whispered as she rested her head on her knees. She glanced at her mother as she turned on the TV and started eating another slice of pineapple. _I have to make sure. I don't want to assume._ Tomorrow after school, she'd get the tests and make sure. But she was hoping that she was wrong. _Please, let me be wrong._

* * *

Sorry I took long guys! I didn't mean to, but I got a little busy and this chapter stumped me a while! lol So, I really hope this chapter came out well! And yes **arry the banana**, that is a word, except you missed an "e" XD Sorry I took long! Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts! They mean a lot. So, like always, let me know what you thought and if I missed a word or misspelled something. Thanks and hope you enjoyed :)


	23. Mistaken

**23. Mistaken**

She couldn't keep her mind on school. It was too cluttered with a million terrible scenarios if her mother was truly pregnant. She'll drop the baby, or forget to change its diaper or forget the baby in the car. She wasn't going to be able to concentrate in school wondering what her mother could be doing to her baby. _Relax; you don't even know if she is pregnant. Stop scaring yourself._ But it wasn't helping. Everything inside her told her that her mother was pregnant. How could she ignore all the painfully clear signs?

She struggled through school, constantly forgetting to write down her notes and listen to the teacher and follow instructions and get to class on time. The only reason she made it through the day was because school was second nature to her.

She was so distracted with her thoughts, she barely noticed Leo trying to talk to her as she walked down the hall.

When the last bell rung, she almost ran out the doors and straight to the little market next to her apartment building. She grabbed three different tests and waited in line while people gave her weird looks. She ignored them, until the woman who was paying in front of her scoffed in her direction.

"And they're twins!" Thalia said cheerfully. The woman looked a little taken aback, but she pulled over a snobby resolve and walked out the market. Thalia rolled her eyes. It was really no one's business why she was buying pregnancy tests. She reached the register, paid and power walked to her apartment. She walked in, quickly calling out for her mother.

"Mom!" she yelled, as she dropped her stuff next to the island and started opening the tests. Her mother was nowhere to be seen.

"MOM!" she yelled again as she frustratingly ripped the small boxes open. She heard footsteps coming down the hallway and her mother rounded the corner rubbing her eyes. She dragged her feet and sat at the island, rubbing her hair and creating some huge and kind of funny bumps.

"Here, do this one first," Thalia said as she handed her mother a small pink stick.

"Don't talk so loud," her mother moaned, as she pressed her fingertips to her temples. "Why?" she asked irritated as she stared at Thalia's outstretched hand. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Just take the damn test," Thalia said, throwing it between her hands. Her mother huffed as she grabbed it and shuffled into the bathroom. At least she was too tired to put up much of a fight. Thalia finished opening the boxes and laid out several more tests across the island and waited anxiously for her mother to come out of the bathroom. Minutes later, she finally appeared and chucked the test onto the counter. As Thalia used a paper towel to grab it, she handed her another test.

"But I don't have to pee anymore!" her mother whined.

"Then drink some water!" Thalia snapped.

"Don't order me around!"

"Be responsible some day, and I might stop!" Thalia retorted. Her mother just scoffed, grabbed a water bottle and walked back into the bathroom. Half an hour went by, as Thalia handed her mother three more tests. When all were done, she laid them out on a paper towel on the coffee table and waited, sometimes tapping her watch because the seconds felt like minutes.

After what felt like an hour, Thalia leaned forward and felt her blood run cold. All five tests had a little pink plus sign. She let her head fall into her hands and gripped her hair. The verdict was finally delivered and what was she going to do?

A baby wasn't like a gift that if you didn't like it, you could return it. Or like a puppy, that when you can't take care of it, you give it to someone who can. Babies were like leeches. Once you're stuck with one, it's hard to get off. Not to mention her mother wasn't really the "motherly" type. And Thalia couldn't take care of a baby by herself, but she wouldn't want to leave the baby in some random adoption center either. There was no easy solution to something this big. Plus expensive! Thalia can barely pay for the apartment and her mother's car (no matter how many times Thalia tried to sell it, her mother stopped her), much less pay for everything a baby needed.

Thalia sighed. This was a nightmare. But she tried to console herself by telling herself she's got time to figure it out. She still has a few months before the baby is even due. She could come up with a plan by then. She looked towards the kitchen and saw her mother munching on some pineapple with a can of beer. _And my plan starts with you._

Thalia stood up and walked to her mother.

"You're pregnant," Thalia announced as she sat down across from her mother.

"Uh-huh," her mother hummed as she ate another slice of pineapple.

"Mom!" Thalia said, slamming her fist against the counter. Her mother looked up, a little surprised. "You're pregnant! Do you know what this means?" It seemed to finally sink into her thick skull and she slowly spared a glance to her ever swelling stomach.

"You need to change your ways, Mom. Starting now," Thalia said, looking at the beer can. Her mother looked a little confused until she followed Thalia's gaze.

"I'm not going to stop drinking!" her mother exclaimed when she understood what Thalia had meant. Anger was burning in Thalia's stomach.

"Look!" Thalia said loudly, as she stood up and leaned towards her mother. "You've already ruined your life and you're doing a pretty good job with mine," Thalia said, her voice now low and threatening. "but I will _not_ let you ruin this child's life. And if you've got a problem with that, tough luck. You got yourself into this mess. Deal with it."

Her mother stared at her with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe her own daughter was speaking to her like this. She opened her mouth to say something, but Thalia cut her off.

"No. You don't get a say in this anymore. Starting today, you will never find another beer can or another cigarette in this house. And whatever you buy, will be thrown out," Thalia said firmly. She then grabbed the beer can her mother had been drinking and poured it down the sink with an outraged protest from her mother. She opened the fridge and pulled out the six pack her mother had bought several days ago, but before she could dump it into the trash, her mother caught her arm.

"Don't you dare!" her mother warned. Thalia stared at her evenly and without saying a word, pulled her arm free and chucked the cans into the trash.

"Thalia! You can't do this!"

"I just did!" Thalia yelled, turning on her mother. Thalia was her mother's height, so she could stare into her eyes without having to look up or down. Her mother looked like she might cry as she looked helplessly at her daughter who was standing in the way between her and her painkillers. Thalia took a step towards her, feeling her determination coursing through her veins. She knew what she was doing, she knew what she _had _to do and she didn't care what her mother had to say about it. She had a life in her hands, and Thalia wasn't going to let her drop it.

"And you have until the end of this week to sign up at some place to stop your drinking habits, because if you don't, I will."

Her mother didn't know what to do, but stare at Thalia like she was taking everything away from her. Thalia felt the slightest pang of guilt, but it was overtaken by the overwhelming urge she had to care for the unborn child. Her… sibling. Thalia almost wanted to gag. She couldn't believe she'd ever have another brother or sister, though she should've know this would happen at some point. What with all the late and drunk nights, all the strangers. It was almost guaranteed to happen.

Her piercing blue eyes burned into her mother's, daring her to protest, but she didn't. She just grabbed the last piece of pineapple and stomped into her room and slammed the door. Thalia's whole body loosened when her mother disappeared. She felt weak, like her knees wouldn't support her and she'd fall down. She put a hand on the counter for some support as she tried to regain herself. It felt like she'd added an entirely new weight onto her shoulders and it would just take her under; like she was trying to swim with weights tied to her ankles. _I can handle this._ Taking a deep breath, she walked over to her mother's purse and pulled out any cash she had. Her mother might try to outsmart her and just smoke and drink at bars when Thalia was in school. But she would be mistaken.

She pulled out a ten and shoved it into her back pocket as she grabbed her bag and shakily made her way to her room.

* * *

Sorry I took so long guys! Not only was I trying to figure out how to write this next part, but I had spring break and was barely on my computer, lol. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Let me know what you think. And Arry, don't die! lol Hope you enjoyed :)


	24. Picnic & Chewie

**24. Picnic & Chewie**

School the next day was absolutely no fun. Not that it ever was, it just seemed worse. Ever since this morning, Thalia's been having a bad day. Sure, she could handle snobby girls who think they own the school, love sick boys, and snotty teachers, but having your mother's mess swirling in your head all day tends to dampen the day. She slouched into her chair in fourth period and aimlessly doodled in her notebook. She remembered the two agents who had walked into her class a week ago, making her freak out a lot, as much as she hated it. She hoped there would be no more surprises like that. She sighed, as every memory trigger-related whooshed back into existence. _Forget about it._

She spent the next fifty minutes listening to Mr. Roberts talk about a human's anatomy making many immature people giggle when the bell rung and signaled time for fifth period… her lunch. Thalia sat down in her preferred corner where people normally weren't and began enjoying her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She was half way done when a kid sat in front of her. A boy she had come to despise. And let's just say, if cops searched her sketchbook, she might go to jail.

"Really? Are there no boundaries?" Thalia complained as the boy set down his food.

"You know you miss me!" Leo said, as he started stabbing his juice box with the flimsy plastic straw.

"Not even in your dreams!" Thalia huffed.

"Come on, am I really that bad?"

"Let's look at it this way; I like you as much as Chewie likes a hair dryer."

He paused, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I'm impressed with the analogy, but come on! Can we start from scratch then?" Leo pleaded. Thalia thought about it. She did that once, with a certain green eyed boy and what happened? She ended up getting pepsi poured down her backside. Who knows what the price of this "starting over" would be. She shivered at the thought.

"No, I don't think so," she replied. Leo's face fell.

"Well, can we at least talk? I'm bored today," he said, slightly gloomy. Thalia felt a tiny bit of pity, which she totally hated. If only she could get rid of all her pesky feelings. So she decided she'll make a deal.

"If I talk to you today, will you leave me alone? For good?" she said seriously. Leo thought about it for a second and slowly nodded. "All right then, just don't be too annoying," Thalia said as she took another bite from her sandwich. Leo took a loud sip from his juice box.

"So, questions allowed?" Leo asked. Thalia shrugged, not really paying a whole lot of attention to what he was saying.

"Okay, so why were you in detention last week?" he asked, a little bit hesitantly. Thalia looked at him, a thought forming in the back of her mind, but a little out of reach though she could feel it as if his question triggered something she couldn't place yet. And that annoyed her beyond words.

"I got in trouble," she answered, trying to ignore the nagging thought.

"Uh-huh… want to elaborate?" Leo prompted. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"I got in trouble for something I didn't do. Something that involved some bad words and aerosol," Thalia said lamely and Leo almost chocked on his nuggets. He half coughed, half gasped as he took a big sip from his juice box.

"Got issues?" Thalia commented, as Leo calmed down and got his breath back.

"No, no, I'm good," he said, clearing his throat a few times and taking another bite from his nuggets. Thalia studied him, wondering what his little episode was about when someone slid into the seat next to him and immediately made Thalia's skin crawl.

"Hey guys," Cindy smiled as she looked intently at Leo. She casually put her arm over his shoulder as he kept his head hung low.

"What do you want Cindy?" Thalia growled. She already had to deal with Cindy during her classes; she really didn't need to deal with her during lunch. Cindy chuckled.

"Oh nothing, just… hungry," she said, as she plucked a nugget from Leo's plate.

"Ah, the orgy back at your table not enough to feed a succubus?" Thalia said sarcastically and Cindy glared at her.

"Better watch it _Grace_," Cindy hissed.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Thalia retorted sarcastically. Cindy huffed.

"Whatevs," she said, as she stood up. But before she left she leaned over, giving Thalia a complete look of her cleavage and whispered something into Leo's ear. He jerked angrily and with a satisfied smile, she walked away. Thalia was about to ask Leo what that was about, but he didn't look like he'd want to be questioned, so she didn't bother. They spent the rest of lunch in awkward silence. Normally Thalia wouldn't mind the silence, but Leo kept mumbling under his breath and he looked at his nuggets like he was trying to put a hex on them.

The bell rang for the end of Thalia's favorite period and Leo bolted out of the lunchroom without a word. She was a little bit startled, but she didn't bother. If he was having his issues, she would just leave him to it.

She passed the rest of the day trying to keep her mind blank. To forget all about the crisis that was slowly developing back at her apartment. But she still couldn't ignore the fact of how badly her mother screwed up and she should've seen it coming too. It frustrated her so much that she couldn't do anything, but watch the disaster unravel. She hated not being able to do anything; nothing irked her more. Okay, besides Percy.

The last bell rang and she busted out the front doors into cool fresh air. She shifted her bag and started walking down the sidewalk towards home. _I don't want to go home._ She sighed as she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and trudged on. She wished even more so nowadays that she could just run away. Disappear into the wilderness of New York and forget everything about her used-to-bes. And she was even close to it one day; packing up her bags and grabbing the doorknob, but she couldn't bring herself to leave forever.

She wasn't even sure why, but something stopped her every time. Now, though she wished she could run away, she wouldn't. Not even if you paid her. The life of her unborn sibling was too important for her to even pull out her suitcase from her closet. She couldn't leave it to defend for itself against their mother. Staying to give the child a chance, one she had lost herself, to have the life it deserved and not what her mother was ever willing to spare. It was a challenge, some may say an obstacle and a commitment, but most of all… it was a promise. One she was going to keep.

She was so busy in her thoughts she barely noticed her phone ringing. She spared a glance at the screen to see who it was. _The Chosen One._ Oh boy, she already knew who this was and she was going to chew him out for taking her phone and saving his number.

"Yes Percy?" she answered casually, but with a sarcastic undertone.

"_How'd you know?_" Percy asked surprised.

"Please Percy, only you would call yourself the chosen one," she replied. She could almost hear him pouting which made her smile in victory.

"_Well, anywaaays… I was wondering if you'd like to have, uh, lunch slash dinner with me?_"

Thalia thought about it and almost in response her stomach growled. _Oh, no, no, no, no Thalia! Remember what happened last time you were around him! It involved sticky cheese and hot soda!_

"I don't know," she replied.

"_Please? We can meet at the park._"

_Thalia, I'm warning you! Don't do it! Don't-_

"Sure," Thalia answered, and she immediately smacked her forehead.

"_Great! Meet me at the park!_

"What time?"

"_Now actually…_" Percy trailed off. Thalia didn't have enough time to call herself stupid a million times when she rounded the corner of a building and found herself looking at Percy standing next to the swings with a picnic basket in hand. Her jaw dropped, not in admiring surprise, but complete and utter shock. _Should've said no Thalia. Should've said no._

"Uh, wow," Thalia said awkwardly as she put her cell phone away. "That's… that's something," Thalia said, scratching her head. "I don't—"

"Calm down Thalia, it's not a cheesy or romantic date," Percy said. Thalia's eyes opened wide.

"This is not a date!" she burst startling a few pigeons. Percy raised the hand that wasn't holding on to the basket in fake surrender.

"All right, not a date," he agreed. That was too easy.

"What's your angle? Hm?" Thalia said crossing her arms. Percy scoffed in disbelief.

"I'm just a guy asking a _friend_ for lunch," Percy replied a smile playing on the very tips of his lips.

"Liar," Thalia stated plainly.

"Maybe, but don't tell me you wouldn't want one of these?" Percy said as he pulled out a nice juicy hamburger with the cheese melting around the edges. Thalia's stomach clenched and she could smell its sweet aroma swirling around her. She opened her mouth, but then shook her head.

"I know what you're doing! You're trying to get me with food!" Thalia said, waving a hand. Percy chuckled.

"Is it working?"

Thalia bit her bottom lip.

"Yes," she admitted shamefully. Percy laughed and set the picnic basket on a small table.

"Come on, let's eat. In a very non-date way," he said, as he threw his legs over the bench and started pulling out different foods. Thalia took a deep breath and sat across from him. She grabbed one of the burgers and sunk her teeth into its deliciousness. All her worries and nightmares melted like the cheese on her burger. Maybe this was what she needed. Someone who could keep her mind off everything that was screwed up in her life. Someone that could keep her from jumping off a building yelling "I'm freeeeeeeee". She was just surprised the only person who could pull it off was Percy.

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Sorry I took so long :P I hope this chapter came out okay. Actually, I'm not very confident about the succubus joke, so if you guys have an idea, feel free to suggest it. Thanks for reading and for reviewing if you did. :)


	25. Let It Burn

**25. Let It Burn**

"So, we're talking and suddenly like fifteen horses come bursting out of the barn and well, I couldn't get out of there on time and…" he paused for dramatic effect. "Some of them were very well trained horses and one of those trained horses decides to jump onto the car and busted up the entire hood!"

Thalia tried to keep herself from laughing. Percy narrowed his eyes at her expression.

"Dude, that is not funny! Now mom's boyfriend will NEVER let me drive it again," he complained. Thalia burst out laughing and Percy stuck out his tongue.

"You have to admit, it's a little funny," Thalia said, struggling to keep her laughter down.

"Man, mom's only known the dude for a few weeks and I already busted his car!" Percy chuckled. "He's going to kill me for sure."

"Yeah, but maybe if you hadn't been so busy staring so… so longingly into your redhead's eyes, that wouldn't have happened!" Percy opened his eyes wide.

"Rachel and I are _not_ together!" Percy said defensively. Thalia chuckled when she realized she hit a nerve.

"Oh no?"

"No! Come on, she's just a good friend," Percy said. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"All right Percy," Thalia agreed. Percy rolled his eyes in disbelief and took another bite from a cupcake he'd brought from home. It had bright blue frosting, which wasn't at all weird, but the rest of the cupcake was also blue. Thalia had never seen so much blue on a cupcake before. They finished eating their dessert, Thalia gulping down the last remnants of her blueberry muffin.

Percy grabbed their trash and threw it out and sat back down to pack up whatever they didn't eat or finish eating. Thalia watched him as he picked up the soda bottles, poured the flat soda out and chucked them into trash can, snapping his fingers every time he scored. She watched as the wind picked up and whipped his black hair around his face and whenever it fell on his nose he'd blow it out of his face instead of doing a Justin Bieber head jerk. He'd grunt every time his blue plaid shirt touched the frosting that had fallen off his cupcake and was now a hot gooey pool on the table and that one time he scratched his face getting frosting, that had been on his hand, across his forehead.

A feeling was creeping up her back, one she wasn't used to, one she hadn't felt in years. Though it kind of felt good, it was scaring her beyond words. Her palms grew sweaty and her mind screamed NO to get rid of that feeling crawling up her spine. To get rid of that feeling that makes people do stupid things, which she's been doing a lot lately. Her mind was becoming one big red light.

Her phone rang, jerking her out of her moment.

"Hello?"

"_Hello Thalia, it's Ms. Whirly_," a voice answered. Thalia unconsciously smiled as she remembered the Whirlys'.

"Hey, what do you need?" Thalia asked as Percy looked at her. She gestured with her hand at his forehead and watched helplessly as he tried to clean that one small streak of frosting across his face.

"_Well, I need a babysitter Wednesday. Is that all right?_"

"Yeah sure!"

"_Oh thank goodness! I thought I was too late._"

"You could call me on the same day! It's no big deal," Thalia said. Ms. Whirly chuckled.

"_Thanks again Thalia, don't know what I'd do if you couldn't come! Okay, I need you here around 5:30?"_

"That's perfect," Thalia said.

"_Great, see you there_," she said as she hung up.

"So, who was that?" Percy asked as he grabbed the picnic basket.

"It was someone by the name of none of your business," Thalia replied. Percy stuck his tongue out and Thalia just raised an eyebrow.

"Anyways, I guess I'll be heading home now," Thalia said, as she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Percy looked like he wanted to protest, but he stayed quiet.

"All right then," he said. "See ya sometime." Thalia nodded and took a few steps away before she paused. She chewed on her lip, but something wanted her to turn around. She looked back to see him turning.

"Percy," she called. He turned around, a little surprised that it was Thalia who was calling him.

"Thanks for the lunch. It was… it-it was nice," Thalia said awkwardly. Percy looked too surprised to reply. He wouldn't have had time anyways, because Thalia quickly turned back around and power walked back to her apartment. She felt stupid. She kept wondering what had possessed her to turn around and give a _compliment_. If she had insulted him she wouldn't feel weird, but she hadn't.

"Thalia, get a grip," she whispered under her breath. She shoved her hands in her pockets and made her way to her apartment. She kept thinking about the dinner, she kept thinking about how she had turned around and called him. What was she thinking? Was she going crazy? Was she finally having a mental breakdown? No, it was something much worse. _You're right._ Thalia's jaw clenched. _No._

Halfway home she pulled out her headphones and blasted her music.

_I watch the city burn. These dreams like ashes float away. Your voice I never heard. Only silence. Where were you when our hearts were bleeding? Where were you when it all crashed down? Never thought that you'd deceive me. Where are you now?_

She had the music so loud she couldn't hear the cars whizzing past her or the pedestrians whistling for taxis. The world didn't exist at that moment, because all she could hear was the music blasting through her headphones. Her muscles relaxed a little as she let the music wash over her. The lyrics took over her mind, kicking out the terrifying thoughts that were messing her up.

_How long can you stand the pain? How long will you hide your face? How long will you be afraid? Are you afraid? How long will you play this game? Will you fight or will you walk away? How long will you let it burn? Let it burn._

She arrived at her apartment and opened the door to find her apartment more of a mess than it had been this morning when she left for school. Her mother's purse was thrown on the floor with all its belongings scattered around and the cushions of the couch were lying on the floor and several of the cabinets were open.

"What the hell happened here?" Thalia breathed in shock as she studied her messy apartment.

"Where'd you put it?!" she heard her mother yell. She rounded the corner of the hallway and came out blowing steam from her nose. Her hair was in a messy bun and she was in sweats.

"Where's what?" Thalia asked, a little bit angry, as she threw her bag next to the door.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! Where's the money?! I had twenty dollars in my purse!" she yelled, her face a slight shade of pink. Thalia straightened.

"I hid it," she replied, staring firmly into her mother's eyes, giving her clear indication she wasn't going to be intimidated. Her mother's eyes opened wide and her face turned into a darker pink.

"Tell me where it is! Tell me now! Tell me where it is!" her mother screamed, an edge of desperation in her voice.

"No."

She froze for a second, but her rage returned. She screamed once, grabbed her empty purse and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Thalia let out a deep sigh. She rubbed her face as she walked to the living room, put the cushions back and sat down. She massaged her temples as the screaming voice of her mother's faded away.

"God help me."

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Thanks for the reviews guys :) So, I hope this chapter came out well, if not, like always, let me know! I hope Percy's story is plausible and if you think not, let me know also ;) Hope you enjoyed :) (And if you see any misspelling mistakes, let me know too... lol)

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics. The song is _Let It Burn by Red._**


	26. Stupid & Immature

**26. Stupid & Immature**

She did her homework and quickly got ready for bed. She just didn't want to stay awake and deal with reality any longer. She could only escape temporarily, but that was better than nothing.

She hadn't seen her mother since she stormed out, but she had heard her sneaking back into the apartment a few minutes ago. She didn't go out to meet her. She just sat on her bed, brushing her wet hair as she stared in the mirror. She didn't want to bother with her mother anymore today.

A million thoughts were swimming through her head as she stared blankly at her reflection. She was thinking about things she didn't care about, things she was naturally curious about and things that were really messed up. Things like, why was Cindy so against her? Or why did her father leave her? What was wrong with Leo? (not that she cared a whole bunch). Would the baby be a boy or a girl? What name would she give it?

She sighed and threw herself back against her pillow. Why is life just so freaking difficult? There's no way to win. You end up dying anyways, so what was the point? Annoyed, she slid under the covers and nuzzled against her pillow. If life was a gift, she wish it came with a warranty.

She closed her eyes, trying to relax enough to fall asleep. An hour or so later, she fell into darkness. She was just standing there, enjoying the sweet and beautiful silence, until there was an incredibly loud pop. She screamed and collapsed, hitting her head against something soft and squishy. She slowly sat up and was afraid to look at what she'd fallen on. Breathing heavily, she turned and fell backwards at the sight. It was her.

Her eyes and mouth were open and her white T-shirt was drenched in scarlet blood. Thalia scrambled backwards, too shocked to stand up, turn tail and run. Her hand hit something and when she looked it was another body. There were dead bodies of her everywhere.

"No, no," she whimpered as she scrambled up and ran. In her hysteria, she didn't realize there was someone standing in front of her until she slammed head on with them. She fell down, a little bit dizzy. A man, who had been standing in front of her, squatted down to look at her eye level. He smiled evilly.

"Run," he said, his voice sounding ghostly. Fear coursing through her body she sprinted away, only to fall off a cliff. Her body flailed helplessly and her scream echoed through the darkness. She jumped up with a gasp and sweaty palms. Seconds later, her alarm went off. She quickly turned it off and rested her head on her knees. Her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking. _Relax, it was just a nightmare._

She got ready for school, trying to keep her mind busy with other unnecessary thoughts. She walked into the kitchen, looking for something simple to eat for breakfast, when she glanced into the living room and saw her mother curled up on the couch, rocking back and forth. She glanced at her watch, making sure she wouldn't be late for school, and walked over to her mother.

"You okay?" she asked. Her mother looked up. She had mascara running down her cheeks and her lipstick was smudged.

"Why do you care?" she said lowly.

"I didn't say I did," Thalia replied. Her mother looked away and stared blankly at the TV. Thalia turned to leave when her mother spoke.

"He said he loved me," she said. "He said he'd take care of me, but all he did was screw me and disappear the next day."

Thalia shifted her feet, a little bit uncomfortable, but she stayed silent, ignoring the fact she could say "I told you so" because she can't count how many times she had told her before that you can't trust people, but somehow she wouldn't get the same satisfaction out of it now. Her mother stayed silent for a while, as if she was reminiscing that night.

"Men," she said in disgust. "You can't trust them." She looked up at her daughter. "Never trust them, Thalia. All they do is lie," she said. But instead of twisted motherly advice, it sounded as if she was warning her. And Thalia didn't like it. Had she seen her with Percy? Is that what she was implying? Her mother stood up and looked at Thalia evenly.

"I have to go," Thalia said. She walked towards the door and grabbed her bag.

"I saw you," her mother said. Thalia sighed. "Stay away from him, Thalia." Thalia gritted her teeth. Without saying another word or sparing a glance, she left the apartment, struggling not to slam the door. She was angry. Her mother can barely keep her life under control and she tries to control Thalia's. But having her mother tell her to stay away from Percy only made Thalia want to disobey her more. She glanced at her watch. They still had about ten minutes before school started.

She pulled out her phone and called him.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey Percy," Thalia said.

"_Wow, I thought I couldn't be surprised, but I was mistaken,"_ Percy said playfully. Before Thalia said anything else, she wondered if what she was doing was a good idea. Her mother's voice echoed in her head again: _Stay away from him, Thalia._

"Do you want to go out this weekend?" Thalia asked. Percy must've been eating, because he suddenly made a choking sound.

"_You're asking _me_ out?"_ Percy asked in surprise.

"Yes, take it or leave it, Percy. I haven't got all day."

"_Uh, yeah, sure."_

"Good. This Saturday. There's a little restaurant two blocks down from where I live. Meet me in front of my apartment building," she said.

"_Yes Mrs. Bossy,"_ Percy said. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"7 o'clock, Percy. Be sharp," Thalia said. She hung up and walked into her school. It was probably stupid and immature to act out. Something she thought she was way past, but her mother still got under her skin. And it felt that doing what her mother didn't want her to do was a way to get back at her.

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Okay guys, thanks for the reviews in the last chapter :) I hope this one came out well and if there's any spelling errors, let me know. And I hope you guys enjoy this chapter too. Let me know what you think ;)


	27. Coffee With A Side Of Annoyance?

**27. Coffee With A Side Of Annoyance?**

The next few days were interesting. Cindy was still being a jerk, Leo hadn't spoken to her and her mother kept having emotional outbursts and dug deeper into withdrawal as bars kept kicking her out for throwing tantrums when they refused to give her drinks. She lost her air of seductiveness from falling into desperation and no one wanted to deal with her. With no money, she ran out of gas and the car had to be towed back. She was now resulting to locking herself up in her room. Which wasn't bothering Thalia.

It was finally Friday, which would normally be exciting because it was the last day of school, except she had to go visit Dr. Woodrow again. As the last bell rang, kids ran out the doors yelling their plans for the weekend while she had to make her way to the school's psychologist. The door was closed and Thalia had hope that maybe she wasn't in today. She was walking away when someone called her.

"Oh good, you're here," Dr. Woodrow said as she came down the hall. Thalia gritted her teeth. So close. She turned around to see her in a silky blue dress and a little white coat.

"Unfortunately," Thalia commented. Woodrow cleared her throat uncomfortably and walked into her office. Thalia reluctantly followed. She sat down and waited for Woodrow to begin.

"So, how have you been feeling? Since the last time we spoke?" she asked as she finished putting some papers away and directed her attention to Thalia.

"Fine."

"Is that it?" Woodrow prompted.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Thalia said, shifting her body forward.

"I want you to be honest with me, Thalia."

"And I am."

"No one is always fine," Woodrow protested. Thalia sighed and leaned back.

"I'm not going to lie," Thalia said, though the comment seemed ironic to her. Deep down she knew she wasn't being completely honest, but she didn't have to tell anyone that.

"Really?"

Thalia stayed silent.

"I have something I want you to see," Dr. Woodrow said as she reached downward and pulled up a small silver case. Thalia wasn't sure what she was up to, but she could already tell she didn't like it.

"If it bothers you to see it, you let me know immediately," she cautioned as she opened up the case. With a reassuring nod, she pulled out a small gun.

Thalia found herself leaning further back instinctively, but she forced herself not to move and give herself away. She felt her hands starting to grow sweaty.

"It's okay, it's not loaded."

"I didn't know they'd even let you bring one of those in," Thalia said.

"I got special permission," she said. She set it down on her desk and pushed the case aside. "Let me know if it's bothering you."

"No, why would it?" Thalia lied. She could feel her heartbeat speeding up, but she tried to keep herself calm.

"Agent Rudder, the nice cop that visited your classroom, had originally been in the military. Many of his friends have suffered from PTSD. Do you know what that is?"

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," Thalia said. "Just guessing," she added as Woodrow looked at her curiously. Thalia had to admit, though, the thought had crossed her mind; she just didn't want to believe it.

"You're right," she said.

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"Your reaction to guns indicates there's a possibility you may be suffering from PTSD," Woodrow explained. Thalia swallowed.

"What reaction?"

"Thalia, you underestimate me. As soon as I pulled out this gun, which is in fact a tranquilizing gun, you pulled back and your fingers curled around the armrest," she said, looking at Thalia's hands. When she realized it was true, she let go of the seat, feeling stupid.

"I've had lots of practice reading body language," Woodrow continued as she put the gun away. "Now, I want to know what kind of experience you had with guns that would make you react this way," she finished. There was no way Thalia would ever tell Woodrow. Absolutely none.

"Well, you'll stay without knowing then," Thalia said.

"Thalia –"

"I'm sorry Dr. Woodrow," Thalia said standing up. "But I have no intention of telling you anything about my life," she said, as she left the office. The fact she may have PTSD was like a smack in the face. She shook her head as she walked out of the school. It couldn't be possible. She didn't want it to be. She walked back to her apartment, her music blasting through her headphones.

It wasn't fair. She was still suffering because of her mother. When was it going to stop? When will her mother's screw-ups stop affecting her? She sighed in frustration. And who did Dr. Woodrow think she was anyways? Not only was she upset she had to deal with Woodrow at all, but that Woodrow had seen so clearly through her façade. It was none of her business anyways.

She tried to keep herself together until she could get to her room. Then she could throw things to her heart's content. She walked into her apartment, expecting to find it empty, like always, but her mother was sitting on the couch with a Pepsi can in hand. You'd think it was a miracle, but Thalia felt the barest trace of happiness to see coke instead of beer. She dropped her bag next to the door and walked over to her.

"Mom," she said. Her mother glanced at her, but quickly looked away.

"What?" she answered, an angry edge to her voice.

"It's the end of the week. Did you sign up at a group for alcoholics?" Thalia asked, as she sat down on the edge of the couch.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not –"

"Not what?" Thalia interrupted. "Not an alcoholic?"

"I – No –"

"Then what do you call it?" Her mother stayed silent. Thalia stood up.

"Just sign up," she said as she turned and left. She knew her mother was probably not going to do it, so maybe Sunday she would look for a group and sign her up herself.

She sighed. Annoyed by the events of the day, she quickly finished her homework, took a warm shower and went to bed. Thankfully, she didn't have any nightmares.

The next morning, she woke up without an alarm and stretched so much she could feel every joint cracking.

"That feels good," she sighed contentedly. She crawled out of bed, getting chills up her back as her feet touched the cold floor and set up the coffee maker. She walked into the bathroom and brushed her teeth and her hair, taking her time. She hummed as she walked into the kitchen and started pulling out eggs to cook.

She left the pan on the stove, served a cup a coffee and sat at the island. She took a sip when she remembered it was Saturday. Her eyes opened wide.

"Oh my god," she said, as she lowered her cup of coffee. She made a small whimpering sound. "I have a date with Percy tonight."

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Thanks for the reviews guys! I hope this chapter came out well. If not, let me know. Thanks :)


	28. Gandhi

**28. Gandhi**

She had completely forgotten. And now she wondered what had possessed her to do it. Oh yeah, her mother… indirectly, of course. Maybe she could just call him up and cancel? No. That seemed kind of cowardice. And she was no coward. _Okay, I'll go, but just to prove I'm no coward._ So, she mentally prepared herself all day for that dreadful moment.

Maybe she can fake a stomach ache halfway through dinner and leave early? No, it was too obvious.  
Maybe she can pretend her mother's calling her back? Nope, he already had an idea how much she didn't care about her mother. Maybe she could say she had to babysit last minute? No, he'd see right through that! She sighed. She was running out of excuses. _Maybe you don't want an excuse._

"Yeah right," she answered herself. "Aw man," she moaned. "He's got me talking to myself," she said as she rubbed her eyes in exasperation. She took a deep breath and tried to shake her thoughts away. It's done. She can endure. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself up in a towel. She wiped the fog off her mirror and started brushing her unruly hair.

_Maybe I'll pretend I'm sick when he gets here!_ No, that won't work. He'd want to come up and see her or talk to her, and she definitely doesn't sound or look sick. She rolled her eyes. He was just so… _caring._ She grumbled under her breath as she brushed her teeth, quickly dried off and ran into her bedroom to get dressed. Maybe she should just be honest and blunt. Nothing's stopped her from doing so before… but for some reason she just didn't want to see disappointment again like when she said no the first time he asked her out.

As she got dressed, she hummed softly. A song she hadn't hummed since she was… seven years old. She abruptly stopped when she realized what she was singing. Clearing her throat, she tried to push out the short song, but it stayed there at the back of her mind like a mosquito flying around your ear. It always had and even though she hadn't sung it in years, she remembered Every. Single. Freaking. Word. Drowning in her memories, she grabbed her bag, that was lying on her bed and flung it, knocking it into the closet and making it slide off the track.

She collapsed onto her bed, holding her head in her hands. That stupid song. Why couldn't she forget it? She hated it.

"_Okay, one more note," he said, as he finished his perfect musical note and admired the page with the cute lyrics his daughter had come up with._

"_Can we sing it _now_ daddy?" she asked impatiently… again. He chuckled._

"_Sure sweetie, we can sing it now," he said, as he set the paper into her small black podium. He grabbed his guitar and began strumming._

"_She sleeps, she sleeps, she sleeps next to me," she sang, her tiny voice ringing out clearly. "But she stands up and fights the monsters under my bed. She slashes and swings her mighty pink sword," she sang as she jumped up and swung her imaginary sword. Her father chuckled as she made faces as if she could already see the monsters in front of her. "She keeps me safe, she keeps me sound. She kills all the monsters while I am dreaming," she slowed as she slunk back down and rested her small head against her father's shoulder. "And with her… I'm always smiling," she finished._

"_How was that dad?" she asked, looking at him with big, blue expectant eyes. He smiled._

"_I loved it."_

"_But it wasn't perfect," she protested with a pout. He ruffled up her hair._

"_That's why I loved it."_

She was so deep in her thoughts she barely noticed the quick buzzes coming from the living room. She glanced at her watch; 7:11 PM. Percy! She jumped up and ran to answer his buzzing.

"Hello?"

"_You standing me up already, Thalia?"_ Percy's voice came on. She rolled her eyes.

"I'll be down in two," she said, as she left to grab her bag, quickly fix her closet and ran downstairs.

"Wow," Percy said as she stepped out of the building. She looked up, a little bit worried.

"What? Did I forget my pants?" she asked, as she looked down to make sure she didn't look like an idiot.

"No, you look… nice," he said.

"Oh, and that's shocking?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, that's not what I meant –"

"Whatever, let's go," she said, as she walked down the steps and started walking.

"You know you're very hostile," he commented as he fell in step next to her.

"Look at my face, Percy," she said, pointing at her face. Percy cocked an eyebrow. "Now tell me, does it look like I care?" Percy rolled his eyes. They walked in silence for a while, until Percy broke it.

"How far is this place anyways?" he asked as she stopped and he halted next to her. She rolled her eyes.

"We're here," she said, pointing at the sign of her favorite restaurant; Joe's Kitchen. Grease galore.

"Nice," he said as he checked the place out. She glanced at him. The neon yellow of the sign made his blue t-shirt and blue plaid shirt glow green. You know, deep, deep down she indirectly admitted to herself that he did look nice. Okay, Ctrl + Delete. They walked into the restaurant and picked a table.

They sat down and she immediately grabbed the menu, trying to act busy as much as possible to avoid too much conversation. It didn't really work.

"So…" Percy said. She looked up from her menu and could only see his eyes poking over his, looking at her expectantly. _His eyes are really green…_

"What?" she said, as she turned her attention back to her menu and cleared her throat.

"Don't you, you know, talk more? I mean, I'm not one to create lengthy conversations, but you're ten times worse than me," he said, as he put his menu down.

"And that's a problem?"

"No, I just think –" he was interrupted when a waitress came up to their table.

"Welcome to Joe's Kitchen, you guys know what you want already?" she asked, as she clicked her pen a couple times.

"I'll just get a double bacon cheese burger with _everything _and double the bacon too, fries and a large coke please," she said. She didn't even know why she would look at the menu when she always ordered the same thing. She turned to Percy.

"What about you?"

"Uh," he stalled as he glanced over the menu one more time. "I'll take the barbecue burger, but without pickles with fries and a large coke too."

"All righty then, be right out," the waitress said as she grabbed the menus and walked to the back.

"No pickles?" Thalia said.

"What? I don't like them," he said, scrunching up his nose. Thalia rolled her eyes.

* * *

"And the piece of toilet paper was stuck to her foot," Thalia laughed. "And she never noticed! People kept making hints, but she was just completely oblivious!" she laughed.

"And you didn't do anything?" Percy asked as soon as he caught his breath from laughing.

"I wasn't planning to, but she let me copy her English homework one time, so I came up behind her and stepped on the paper. I figured she didn't need to know," Thalia said, as she tried to slow her breathing and snickering.

"You know you're actually nice," Percy commented.

"Don't call me that!" Thalia said. Percy laughed.

"What? Nice?"

"Yes, I've got a reputation, remember?" Percy rolled his eyes.

"Personally, I don't think you need a reputation. You're scary all on your own," he joked. Thalia shrugged.

"I try. Now finish your fries!" she chided. Percy leaned back.

"I can't. I'm full," he moaned. Thalia scoffed.

"Then I'll take them," she said as she picked up his red oval bowl and dumped his fries onto hers. She doesn't know why, but she could eat a whole cow if they let her. Percy covered his mouth as she doused them in salt and then dipped it into ketchup.

"Just watching you eat makes me want to throw up!" he said, before he moaned and looked away. Thalia snickered. She took a swig from her drink, but it went down the wrong pipe and she started coughing and wheezing. Percy jumped up and started to softly slap her back as she struggled to breathe.

"Arm up, it helps," Percy said as he grabbed her arm and raised it. Coughing, she pulled it away and forced a deep breath. She fell into a slight labored breathing with coughs in between.

"Try eating slower," Percy said as he sat back down.

"Don't tell me what to do," Thalia said, annoyed, mostly because she was coughing.

"I wasn't."

"Then what do you call it?" she protested.

"I'm just giving you a suggestion. You almost choked."

"Well, I don't need your help," she said. For some reason, his comment seemed to get under her skin more than they usually do. Most likely because of the same reason she was on this date in the first place. She didn't want to be told what to do, no matter what it was. At least, that was her pet peeve right now.

"Fine," Percy said, beginning to get annoyed.

"Fine," Thalia said, as she chucked her napkin and left the restaurant. She was upset. Half because the thoughts about her mother just plain piss her off and because she had almost choked in front of Percy. Maybe if she got away for a while, she could calm down. A block down she felt someone grab her arm.

"Don't leave," she heard Percy say. She turned on him.

"And why not?"

"Because you always do! Whenever something doesn't go your way, you run away," Percy said bluntly. She could feel anger taking hold. She was no coward!

"I don't run away!"

"Then what do you call it? Because it looks like running away to me!"

"You don't know what I've gone through!" she said, her voice rising. She shocked herself with the comment. It was "too emotional" for her taste.

"Well, it's not like you tell me either," Percy countered.

"And what do you care?"

"You're my friend," he answered honestly, but Thalia was too angry to stop and rethink.

"Why would you say that?!"

"Because it's true?" Percy said sarcastically.

"No, it's not," Thalia said firmly. They weren't friends. She was only his babysitter and nothing more. They weren't automatically friends because they went on some kind of date that was clearly a big mistake.

"And why not?" he demanded.

"Because I say so!"

"Well, I don't care if you say so!"

"Well, now I know how you feel about me!" she said, her voice high.

"You don't know what I feel!" Percy said, his voice reaching hers in volume.

"Then why don't you tell me?!" she yelled. He stared at her for a second, as if trying to figure out what to say next, but what he did next could surprise even Gandhi. He surged forward, cupped her face and kissed her.

* * *

This chapter is vital, so I hope I did well with it. Let me know what you think! And I hope you enjoyed it :) Plus, if I made any spelling mistakes, let me know! Thanks!


	29. Percy Percy Percy Percy

**29. Percy. Percy. Percy. Percy.**

Her hands instinctively reached up and wrapped around his neck, as if she had done it many times before, and pulled him closer as his hands slid down to her waist; their lips moving in synchronization, as if they had been made for each other. And it felt good. _You're kissing _Percy… She gasped and pulled away, leaving Percy wide-eyed.

"You kissed me back," he said in shock, but the corner of his lips began to pull up into a smile.

"No!" Thalia lied. But who was she kidding? She knew she did and she couldn't believe it herself.

"No, no. You kissed me back!" Percy said again as if he had just made some grand discovery. Thalia was horrified.

"I-I-I have to go," she stuttered as she turned and ran away. She heard Percy call after her, but she kept going. She ran up the steps of her building and slipped inside before Percy could stop her. She jogged up the steps (an exercise her thighs will never get accustomed to) and burst into her apartment. She pressed her back against the cold wall and slid to the floor, letting her head fall in her hands.

"Oh my god, I kissed him," she said to herself. "I kissed him – _back_."

"Oh no," she moaned as she dragged her hands down her face. _What is wrong with me?!_ She touched her lips and recalled the kiss. How he grabbed her and pulled her toward him, their lips crashing and falling into perfect rhythm. And that's why she hated it. The kiss had been perfect! Kisses are never perfect! They're either too slobbery, or too chaotic, or too dry, but this one… was just… right. And she still couldn't believe she had actually kissed him back. Since when does she do _that_? This wasn't even a real date, at least, not for her. What was she going to do now? Pretend it never happened? _Yeah. I'll do that._

She crawled to the couch and lay down, staring at the ceiling. Her heart was beating just a little faster than normal and it kind of felt good… for the first time in years, as much as she hated it. She removed a few items of clothing, grabbed the blanket folded on top of the couch, slithered under the cover and closed her eyes. Maybe she could just sleep it away.

* * *

She awoke the next morning, feeling more refreshed than ever. She stretched, feeling every bone crack.

"Nothing like a good stretch," she moaned as she reached upward as far as her spine allowed her. She slouched back down and stared blankly at the floor until her eyes widened.

"Oh my god," she whispered again as she remembered that unbelievable event that had taken place last night. She sighed, stood up and walked towards her room, dragging herself along the wall to feel the coldness against her legs. She stumbled sleepily into her room and her eyes landed on the giant chest in the far corner of her room.

She chewed on her lip, wondering if what she was thinking about was a good idea. It almost seemed to be calling out to her. So she didn't think anymore. She fished for the key to the chest from her drawer and kneeled in front of the chest. She looked at the lock a little more, second guessing herself. But she plunged the key into the lock and turned it. The lid popped. She lifted it up and stared inside. She exhaled deeply.

Inside, there was a large case with the letters TG, Thalia Grace, engraved at the bottom. She pulled it out and set it on the floor and sat on the floor against her bed and studied it. You could tell it was several years old and that it had gone through a lot. It had nicks and scratches all over it. She leaned forward and unlocked it. And with slightly trembling fingers, she opened it. In front of her was a perfect wooden guitar. It was smooth, glossy, a little dusty with a black dragon slithering across one side.

She reached in, grabbed it by the neck and pulled it up across her lap as she sat down on her bed. Its side felt cold against her bare thighs, but she didn't mind. She was breathing slowly as her fingers hovered over the strings. She was nervous, as odd as it was. She hadn't played in years and she wasn't sure if she should start again. But closing her eyes, she started strumming. She was a little rusty at first and not really thinking of playing anything in particular, but the music took a form of its own. It echoed softly through the room and a heat wave travelled from her ears to her feet. She took a breath, and started singing.

"_Sucked into another black hole. Drags me further down the road. I can't keep from feeling… Time drags me down the line. And gets me closer every time, 'cause it's you I'm missing… You're my angel without wings,"_ she sang, the words soft, but clear. Her entire body tingled and her voice was a little gruff at first, but it got easier as she kept singing. "_Don't_ _need them. We're high enough. You're flying above _–" she stopped abruptly when she heard a door slam. She quickly put the guitar back in its case, closed it and slid it under her bed. Pulling on a pair of shorts, she poked her head out her door.

She heard cabinets being slammed and the fridge being opened and closed, opened and closed and her mother's voice as she mumbled to herself and grunted in frustration. Thalia walked down the hallway and found her mother walking around the island, pulling at her hair.

"You okay?" Thalia asked, as she came to the island and sat down in one of the high chairs. As her mother passed her by, she could tell she was sweating and she was slightly shivering and her eyes seemed a little red and puffy.

"I don't feel good," she whined. She moaned as she hit a cabinet and slid to the floor, rocking back and forth with her head between her legs. "I don't feel good!" she said again, but angrier. Without saying anything, Thalia grabbed a wash cloth, soaked it in cold water and knelt next to her mother.

"It'll pass," she said as she lifted her mother's head and pressed the moist cloth against her sweating forehead. She shivered under the touch. Though Thalia didn't always enjoy seeing people suffered, she saw this as a good sign. If she was going into withdrawal it meant she wasn't drinking. Her mother started crying. She was getting moody and being pregnant wasn't helping the situation. She was a rollercoaster of emotions. Her cry grew louder as she leaned into Thalia, her head falling on her lap as Thalia awkwardly held her hands up. This was probably the first real contact she's had with her mother and she had no idea what to do.

"Uh…" Thalia hesitantly patted her back as her mother sobbed. The house phone rang and she gasped in relief. She slowly pushed her mother, still sobbing pointlessly, off her lap and back against the cabinet and ran for the phone.

"Hello?" Thalia answered a little too eagerly. She cleared her throat and tried again, "Hello?"

"_Hello Thalia, it's Sally!_"

"Oh hey! Whataya need?" Thalia said, trying to sound a little upbeat.

"_I was hoping you might be able to babysit for me again?_" Sally asked shyly.

"Yeah, no pro –" she was cut off by her cell phone ringing. She ran for her phone and fumbled around in her bag for it as she tried to keep her mind set on not sounding distracted.

"Yeah, so what day?" she asked, as she held the phone between her ear and shoulder. She grabbed her phone, but ignored the call as soon as she saw who it was, _The Chosen One_. She left it in her bag, but as she stood up the phone rang again.

"_Wednesday,_" Sally answered.

"Uh-huh, time?" she asked before she heard a _beep-beep-beep_. "Could you hold that thought a moment? Sorry," she said. Sally said okay and Thalia switched lines.

"Hello?" she answered as she looked at her cell phone again. It was a different number. _Hmm, I wonder who it could be._ But she answered it anyways, just in case.

"_Good morning Thalia, it's Ms. Whirly,_" a soothing voice said.

"Oh-hey, hi, what's up?" Thalia answered as she answered her cell.

"Hello?" she said softer.

"_Thalia, don't hang up!_" a familiar voice said immediately.

"Percy, I don't have time for this!" she turned back to her house phone.

" – _I was wondering if you could come by_," Ms. Whirly was saying.

"What day?" She asked, until she remembered Sally on the other line. "Keep that thought, can you give me a second?"

"_Sure –"_ Ms. Whirly said as Thalia switched lines again.

"Yes, time?" Thalia asked Sally, as she heard Percy's distant voice; _Would like to know why you kissed me back and ran away._

"_Possibly around 6 o'clock?"_

"That's perfect!" Thalia said, as she made a mental note of it. She could still hear Percy rambling on.

"Shut it!" she hissed into her cell.

"_Excuse me?"_ Sally asked curiously.

"Nothing! I'll see you Wednesday at six?" Thalia tried to fix.

"_All right, bye,_" she chuckled as she hung up.

"Percy, please! It was a kiss nothing more!" she growled.

"_Excuse me?_" a woman's voice said. Thalia's face went red and she couldn't begin to explain how embarrassed she felt.

"I am so sorry, Ms. Whirly! It's just –"

"_Boy problems?_" Ms. Whirly chuckled. Thalia laughed.

"Yes…" she said. Ms. Whirly giggled.

"_Good luck! But remember, a little fight is what makes the romance. Now, could you pass by Friday evening around 6:30?_"

"I'd love to. See you there," Thalia said, not feeling as embarrassed.

"_See you there,_" she said happily, as if she knew something that Thalia didn't and she couldn't wait to share. She hung up and with a huge, exasperated sigh as she placed her ear to her cell phone.

"_And I think we should talk –"_

"Percy."

"_Because you're sending mixed signals here, and I'm not good at reading signals –"_

"Percy."

"_Because, I don't know if you've ever noticed, but I can be pretty clueless –"_

"Percy."

"_And if you stop being sarcastic, I could probably understand you –"_

"Percy!"

"_And maybe – what?" _Thalia couldn't help but laugh, but she quickly cleared her throat.

"I get what you're saying," she began. "But I think we should just forget about it."

"_Let's just talk,_" he pleaded. "_Can we talk Wednesday?_" A very small part of her really did want to talk, but she thought it would just be safer not to. She was curious herself why she had kissed back, but she would figure that out by herself. Talking just wasn't her thing.

"I can't, I'm busy."

"_Doing what?_"

"Babysitting you." Percy scoffed.

"_You almost got me…. Almost."_

"Sure Percy, whatever you say."

* * *

Hello guys! Sorry I took so long! Thanks for the reviews :) I hope this chapter came out well. Let me know what you think! Hope you enjoyed :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics. Credit goes to Angel Without Wings by Saving Abel.**

**P.S.  
**So, I'm planning on writing a new story, but I would like to collaborate with someone. It would be about Percy Jackson, of course. So, if you'd like to help, let me know! Thanks.


	30. Long Live The Queen

**30. Long Live The Queen**

She quickly hung up with Percy and tended to as many of her chores and responsibilities as possible to have less to do through out the week, especially because two of her days are occupied. After she finished cleaning her room, vaccuming the rug, wiping down her window etc… she turned her attention to her computer.

Her mother had still not joined a group for alcoholics, so she was going to do it for her. She spent about thirty to forty minutes searching. She just doesn't understand why you still get groups somewhere in Michigan when you clearly specified NEW YORK. She was about to give up hopes and turn to more conventional ways when her eyes landed on a special link: WANT TO QUIT? COME JOIN US! MARY'S SESSION; Downtown New York City.

"Finally," she muttered under her breath as she clicked the link and read about it. They met every Tuesday and they didn't charge the first two sessions. It seemed right. She quickly dialed the phone number and waited.

"_Hello, this is Mary's Session. How may we help you?"_

"I'd like to schedule a session for a relative please," she said. To be honest, it felt kind of surreal that she was finally doing what she's been wanting to do for years. The chance finally came. What dampened the happiness was the fact that it was all because of an unplanned pregnancy. She scheduled a session for this Tuesday and laid down her bed. This minor accomplishment meant the world to her, though she would never say it aloud.

She walked out and gave the news to her mother. Suffice to say, she didn't take it well.

"What?!" she yelled, standing up from her comfortable position on the couch.

"You need to go," Thalia said, keeping her voice low. She's wasted enough time having the "who's the loudest?" contest.

"I'm not going!" her mother said, as she sat back down and unmuted the TV. Thalia tried to keep herself under control as she walked over to the TV set and shut it off.

"Hey!"

"You're going!" Thalia said, ignoring her mother's protest.

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!" Thalia yelled, surprisingly loud, slamming her hands on the coffee table. Her mother seemed a little stunned by the force with how Thalia screamed. "And that's final!" It took her mother several seconds to recover, but by the time she opened her mouth to retort, Thalia was halfway to her room.

She was getting tired. Every time she thought she had control of herself, that she was okay, her mother brought all her anger back. All the frustration and her body was just getting tired of it all. She spent the rest of the day finishing her duties; cleaning, homework and taking five minute breaks to scarf food down her throat.

She went to sleep early, much earlier than usual and had another nightmare. She shot straight up in a cold sweat. It was the third time this night. She moved her pillow to lie against the headboard and she rested against it, pulling her comforter up to her chin as she rested it on her knees. Her heart was hammering and although she wanted to sleep more than anything, she was afraid to. She just didn't want to have a nightmare again. And to be honest, though she would never _ever_ say so, if her mother was herself she would walk down the hall and crawl into bed next to her.

She shook her head at the thought. She was almost an adult now. And she was way mature. And adult, mature people don't crawl into bed with their mommies when they get scared. She sighed with that word. She didn't want to admit it, but she was. She licked her lips and reached for her phone. She unlocked it and closed her eyes immediately to the blinding light that it emanated. When her eyes adjusted, she surfed through her contacts.

She couldn't believe what she was about to do, but she needed to talk to _someone_. Even if she didn't talk about her nightmares and especially not her feelings, but to hear another voice was something to take her mind off. Who knows, maybe even an argument. She called the number and waited. She was probably crazy in calling. No one would answer their phone at four in the morning. She was about to hang up, when someone lazily answered.

"_Hello?_" they sounded half asleep and Thalia was thinking she should just hang up and let him sleep. "_I know you're there,_" they mumbled.

"I'm here," she said quietly.

"_Thalia, are you okay?_" Percy asked worriedly, just a tad bit more awake now. It was sad to think Percy was the closest thing she had to a friend. But she really couldn't blame anyone but herself. She always pushed them away.

"I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have called. It's late and I –"

"_No, no, it's okay. What's up?_"

"I, uh…" for once, she was speechless. What was she thinking? What was she going to say? "I couldn't sleep," she finally said.

"_You want to talk?_"

"Sure," she said softly.

"_Well, I'll start. I was just having this dream where I was flying and I slammed into this giant doughnut and I got this major sugar rush and I was hopping all over the place and this freaking bunny rabbit came out of nowhere and started throwing eggs at me!"_ Percy said, as Thalia chuckled at his far from normal dream. And they spent the next thirty minutes talking, which kind of surprised her. Her mind grew more at ease and she didn't worry about her nightmares anymore.

"Thanks Percy," she said, closing her eyes to try and ignore her mild embarrassment.

"_I know we're not besties or anything, but I'll always be here for you,_" he said and he sounded truly sincere. Thalia could hardly stand it.

"Thank you," she was about to hang up. "Uh, sweet dreams," she said and she quickly hung up. She mouthed the words "sweet dreams" again in disgust.

"I'm going insane," she mumbled to herself as she lay back down and pulled her knees in tight to her chest. She felt better and she could close her eyes without fear as to what her unconscious mind holds. She slept soundly the remaining hour and a half before her alarm went off. She was a tiny bit tired, but she could manage. She got dressed and walked to school. The day was a little gloomy and the wind had a cold touch to it, but it was spring. She didn't have to worry about the temperature dropping to twenty degrees, so she wore a light black jacket over her dark blue V-neck.

* * *

It was fifth period as she made her way through the crowd of people to get to her usual corner. She was minding her own business when she felt something hit her ankle. Too late she realized what was happening, though she tried her best to break her fall as she fell forward.

"Dammit," she grunted as she hit the floor in a busy lunchroom. She could hear groups of boys and girls laughing at her. Her face turned red, but it wasn't from embarrassment, it was from pure anger. She didn't even have to look. There was only one person who would bother sticking their leg out to make her look bad. She quickly stood up, her backpack sliding down her arm and falling into her grip as she turned towards the rows of tables. And there she was; with a happy, annoying smile.

"Careful, it's slippery," she said with mock sympathy.

"What the hell is your problem?" Thalia growled.

"Me?" she said innocently. Several girls sat next to her and they covered their mouths as they tried to hold their laughter. Thalia walked towards her threateningly. A few of the girls grew serious and watched her with curiosity while Cindy only raised an eyebrow.

"You better watch it… Cindy," she said the last word with disgust. She was slowly moving her hand across the table and Thalia could see from the corner of her eye what she was aiming for; a bag of juice. Thalia slammed her hand down on her arm, making her eyes open wide.

"I don't think so," Thalia said. She leaned in closer. "I'm getting pretty sick of your games, Cindy. And if you don't stop soon, you'll be regretting it." She pulled her arm free.

"As if," she said as she stood up. Cindy was naturally tall and her heels didn't help either. She was taller than Thalia by two inches, but she seemed to enjoy it. "I've got everyone eating out of my palm. I have many friends. And you? You've got no one. And you never will."

Thalia dared to laugh. "You call _them_ your friends? Who's kidding who now?" Thalia said and Cindy looked like she was trying to sort out what she said. "But you know what? I don't really care." She started walking away before she turned one more time. "Long live the queen of bitches," she said with a mock courtsey, before she turned and left, leaving Cindy's groupies laughing at their own expense since they didn't seem to understand Thalia had insulted them both.

* * *

Hey guys! So, another chapter. Let me know what you guys think :) And thanks a lot for the reviews! They mean a lot! And thanks to the ones who offered help for the new story. Hope you enjoyed :)


	31. Tell Me Something I Don't Know

**31. Tell Me Something I Don't Know**

She rolled her eyes as she walked away. She hoped the next time Cindy went for her spray tan that it would malfunction and she'd walk away with orange skin and that it'd be permanent and when she grew older she'd look like a really bad wrinkly peach and live alone with 34 cats. She sat down and pulled out a burger she'd gotten on her way to school. She took a bite as her eyes strayed about and saw Cindy standing in front of an elfish boy. It was Leo. Thalia watched curiously, wondering what the hell was going on between those two.

Eventually, it seemed that Cindy won. He looked around her, cast one longing look in Thalia's direction and sat down amongst the other girls. Cindy fixed her shorts and sat down as she flipped her blonde hair back. She intentionally sat in front of Leo, so he couldn't look at Thalia. Thalia didn't really care, but she knew something was wrong. She wondered if she should say something, but she figured he could probably take care of himself.

She finished eating and pulled out her science homework until it was five till. When it was, she ran out, trying to avoid the swarms of overly emotional teenagers. She reached her next class in no time and settled herself in the empty classroom as her teacher played on his computer. Class started and not ten minutes into it, a kid with a green lanyard walks in with a green slip. Holding her breath, she slowly sinks into her chair and bows her head onto the desk. The teacher clears his throat.

"Miss Grace, for you," he said. Thalia sighed. With a forced smile, she grabs the slip, quickly packs her things as everyone watches her and storms out of the classroom. When she looked at the slip, she was so close to just throwing it away and hiding in a bathroom stall. It was Dr. Woodrow. Thalia was about to pull her hair out. Why did she keep picking on her? There must be other kids with way bigger problems than her! She stomped into her office and threw herself into the chair, startling Woodrow.

"Well, that was quick," she said as she tried to organize her desk.

"What do you want now, Dr. Woodrow?" Thalia said, jumping straight to the point.

"Thalia please, I am not doing this to annoy you."

"Well, it's still annoying me."

"Thalia, I just want to give you help before your condition gets worse." Thalia scoffed.

"_Condition?_ It's a condition now? I'm fine!" Thalia protested, standing up. Dr. Woodrow finally looked like she wanted to wring her neck. Finally, Thalia was beginning to think she was a robot.

"Is there any particular reason you don't want to talk about this?" Dr. Woodrow asked, trying to sound calm.

"Of course! It's my life! I don't need some doctor telling me things I already know!" Thalia said, but she closed her eyes regretfully as soon as the words came out.

"So, you already knew?" Dr. Woodrow asked, leaning back in her chair. Thalia sighed and sank back into her chair. She looked down, not wanting to meet Dr. Woodrow's grey eyes. She could feel them burning into her skin.

"Yes. I already knew," Thalia said quietly. She never wanted to believe it, but she knew it was true. She just thought that ignoring it would simply make it go away.

"And why's that?" Dr. Woodrow asked, now sounding more like an honest therapist. Thalia didn't want to talk about it. She hated just thinking about it. She didn't want to let Woodrow know she wakes up in cold sweats from terrible nightmares or that she hides whenever a car backfires or a book is slammed against a desk. She didn't want to sound vulnerable and weak and scared.

"You know the symptoms of PTSD. Why do you have to ask me?" Thalia asked, dropping her bag on the floor and pulling herself farther into the chair, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Not everyone is affected in the same way," she said plainly.

"Oh no?" Thalia chuckled in disbelief.

"No. Some people only have nightmares, some acquire phobias, and some can't differentiate between their fear and daily life occurrences, like a door slamming." Thalia winced. "Some people are good at hiding it, others can't. Some people are good at forgetting and others," she said, tilting her head sideways to look at Thalia's bowed head. "can't. And for some people, those few, it becomes part of their life." Thalia looked up.

"Does it matter?" Thalia said.

"Of course it does," she said simply. Thalia sighed.

"Yes, I had an… unfortunate experience with a gun," she said. She almost felt like the wound was still there, still healing in an ugly scab. It had finally healed, but it left an ugly round scar. She touched it through her shirt and she could feel the outline.

"What happened?" Dr. Woodrow asked. Thalia felt guarded. She had already shared too much. She was beginning to get uncomfortable, and her methodical grey eyes didn't help much either.

"I'd rather keep that to myself," she said.

"Fair enough," she said. "You can go now, but I would like to see you this Friday again at 3. Our sessions are not over yet." Thalia sighed. She grabbed her things and left. The rest of the school day, she kept thinking about the day she had gotten shot. She's lived in fear ever since that day, thinking the man would show up again to finish her off. And every time she thought about it, she couldn't help but blame her mother. She couldn't imagine she'd ever forgive her. And she was never going to forget either.

* * *

The rest of the day kind of sucked. It was gloomy when she walked out of the school and it threatened to rain, so Thalia power walked to her apartment to avoid getting caught in the downpour.

She was walking by Percy's building when her phone rang. It was Percy… She was close to hanging up, but she answered in hopes that maybe Wednesday babysitting was cancelled.

"Hello?"

"_Thalia_," Percy's voice answered.

"What is it, Percy?"

"_I went to the doctor yesterday and…_"

"Why do I want to hear about your doctor visits, Percy?" Thalia asked sarcastically.

"_They said I have a tumor."_ Thalia would've never believed him, but she second guessed herself when she heard how serious and sullen he sounded. Thalia laughed weakly.

"You're kidding," she said, as she stopped next to the park. Percy sighed.

"_I wish I was. I had been having migraines and when they checked me, they said I had a tumor_," he said sadly. It took Thalia a while to realize she was holding her breath. She didn't know what to say. He sounded too serious to be joking. Her eyes wandered about as she tried to figure out what to say when she looked at her watch. Suddenly, she started laughing.

"You're a real dipshit, Percy!" she yelled into the phone. Percy guffawed.

"Happy April Fool's Day," Percy said innocently.

"Oh, you're a jerk!" Thalia growled. Percy laughed.

"I love you too," he teased. "But man, your face was funny."

"My face? How did you even –" she stopped when she looked up and saw a face poking out a window. She had to give it to him, it was sneaky. He waved, but Thalia didn't feel like doing so, so she flipped him the bird.

"_Well that was very lady-like_," Percy laughed. "_You need to act more like a girl._"

"Why don't you shove it up your –ahem– melon," Thalia fixed when a little girl walked in front of her. Percy chuckled. "Just wait until Wednesday. I'm going to get you good," Thalia said with an evil smile. Percy flailed at the window.

"Oh, I'm so scared," Percy said with mock fear.

"Better sleep with one eye open, Percy. 'Cause I'm gonna get you," Thalia said with a smile as she hung up. Percy waved one more time as Thalia turned and left. As she walked she started conjuring up plans for getting back at Percy for scaring her. She shook off that small feeling she had felt when Percy tricked her. _Seems like you care for him more than you think_. Thalia shook her head as if that would do any good. _No, I don't._ But maybe it was true. Maybe she did care for him more than she thought. But that was crazy. Thalia couldn't care for someone… could she?

* * *

Hey guys! I hope you liked the chapter (and I know Dr. Woodrow's eyes were a different color before, but that was mistake, my bad). Anyways, let me know what you think :)

And just in case, "flipping the bird" is when you give someone your middle finger :P


	32. Easy A

**32. Easy A**

Another day, another Tuesday. Sometimes she wondered what would happen if they named a new day. What would they call it? Fondrousday, Telalayladay, Kokunaday… she could go on forever making up names and it was kind of fun too.

"Thalia?" someone called. Thalia looked up from her doodling to see her teacher standing in front of her. She sat straight as she pulled her textbook over her drawing of a bird crapping on a boy, whom she visualized as Percy.

"Yes?" Thalia said embarrassedly. The teacher sighed.

"You need to pay more attention, Thalia," she said before she turned her attention to the rest of the class. "Anyone would think you guys are still freshmen! I expect better," the teacher went on and Thalia hid her face behind her hair. She's been doing that a lot lately. Zoning out and missing half the class and then being the focus of attention when the teacher picks her out. She just wanted to crawl in a corner and hide. She still had about 8 weeks left of school and she couldn't wait. _Let the weeks go by quicker, please._

That's when she started thinking about her graduation. She had politely asked Mr. Brunner if she could've skipped the graduation ceremony, but he had told her no. She had tried so hard to make a good case (I don't have friends, I don't know anyone, I don't have money), but he had an answer for everything. She sighed. But despite the fact she was graduating without much money, she was waiting to receive letters in the mail. She had applied to a few colleges, not expecting to go to any of them, but she just wanted to know. And if the gods were smiling, she might just get a chance. But she never let her hopes get too high.

She had decided that with a baby on the way, college seemed like a good yet somewhat farfetched idea. Not to mention, she had to start looking for a good job. The money she got from her babysitting and dog walking isn't nearly enough to support another member of the family, especially not a baby which were like money devouring monsters. She frowned as she made minor calculations in her head about how much it might cost, and the numbers were staggering, at least for her. She wondered how she would ever get through it. She started making a list of places she could apply to. It wasn't very big, since she was still only seventeen and many places wanted eighteen year olds, which she thought funny because she was way more mature than many of the twenty year olds that worked at stores she'd been to.

The bell rung and she gathered her things, but she couldn't follow the group of seniors heading out the door because her teacher called her.

"Yes, Mrs. Towry?" Thalia said as she reluctantly turned to her.

"Please come here," she said. Thalia left her belongings on her desk as she walked over to her teacher's desk. She stood in front, but Mrs. Towry gestured for her to come around. Thalia did so as she chewed on her lip.

"Look at these grades," she said. Thalia leaned over and squinted at the computer screen. It took her a moment, but once she found her name she scanned the row of grades and not all were good.

"What about them…?" Thalia asked hesitantly, though she already knew what Mrs. Towry was trying to tell her.

"Thalia, you were an A student, what happened?" Mrs. Towry asked as she spun in her chair to face Thalia. Thalia felt a little bit upset. It was hard enough to keep her A's up since learning for her wasn't as easy as it was for others, but she's had a lot of stuff going on in her life; her mother, the baby, Cindy and everyone else who had suddenly popped into her life. She shrugged. Mrs. Towry frowned and took off her glasses.

"You cannot get more than two zeroes, or you won't be graduating," she said sadly. Thalia shifted from foot to foot.

"Okay," she said quietly. She began to turn.

"Thalia, I wish you luck with whatever is going on," Mrs. Towry said. Thalia nodded and felt better knowing that Mrs. Towry somewhat understood. She might not know what was going on, but she knew something _was_ going on. "I'm here after school if you need help. I'll be giving out some extra credit soon," she added. Thalia sent her a small smile.

"Thank you, Mrs. Towry," she said as she grabbed her things and left. She sighed as she walked home. She would definitely need to use that extra credit. She reached her apartment and walked in. She pulled out cereal and sat at the island eating when she suddenly remembered something.

"THE MEETING!" she gasped. She knew her mother probably wasn't going, so she jumped off her chair and ran into her mother's room. Nothing. She checked the bathrooms, the bedrooms, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Dammit!" Thalia said under her breath as she stomped her foot. She knew. She knew! Her mother probably ran out before Thalia got home to avoid going. She was about to scream when she heard the door to the apartment open. She gasped and walked into the living to almost fall to her knees in shock.

Her mother was standing there in a simple, cotton, yellow dress with spaghetti straps and pale yellow heels. Her black hair looked like someone had tried to brush it, but they couldn't quite fix it and she still had dark circles under her eyes, but she looked better without all the make-up on. She still didn't look pristine or elegant, but she didn't look like a lowlife drunk anymore. It took a while for Thalia to realize her mouth was open. Her mother looked up and suddenly looked defensive.

"What?" she asked sharply.

"Where did you get those clothes?" Thalia asked in amazement from seeing her mother look so different. Then she grew suspicious. "You didn't steal it, did you?!"

"No! Of course not!" her mother said defensively. "A- a friend loaned it to me," she stuttered as she looked down at herself, suddenly self-conscious. The dress flowed, but it seemed tighter around her abdomen. She was starting to get more of a baby bump, but the dress covered it up nicely. You couldn't notice it unless you really studied her.

"Tell her thanks," Thalia said, still not over her shock. Her mother hadn't dressed decent for years, and Thalia gave up hope she would ever stop wearing stained t-shirts and broken dresses, but now, she looked like her version of a million bucks.

"Well?" her mother said. "Aren't we going?" she asked sarcastically. Thalia rolled her eyes. She walked into her bedroom and grabbed the address to the meeting she had taped to her mirror, grabbed her bag and left the apartment with her mother. As they walked down the sidewalk (since the car is out of gas) Thalia couldn't help but feel good. Sure, her mother was still a sour grape suffering from withdrawal and hormonal changes and she carried all the uncertainties of the future on her shoulders, but she was on her way to a better day, when she didn't have to get up in the morning and feel like crying because of how screwed up everything was. The storm was clearing and she couldn't wait to feel the sun shining on her.

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Thanks for the reviews guys! :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think!


	33. Not Like This

**33. Not Like This**

It took them about thirty minutes to get there; her mother complaining about how bad her feet hurt in the heels halfway.

"Then why did you wear them?" Thalia asked irritably.

"They looked nice!" her mother retorted.

"Bet they don't feel nice now," Thalia mumbled. Her mother grunted in frustration. She kept stumbling, her heel getting caught in the crevices of the sidewalks. She could use heels, but she always stuck to platforms. The ones she was wearing we stilettos.

"Care –" She was a little late and her mother tripped over one of the cracks. "ful…" Thalia finished quietly as she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Are we there yet?" her mother asked for the millionth time. Thalia sighed.

"Just around the corner," she answered as they stopped at an intersection. Thalia pressed the button of the crosswalk several times (because once is just never enough) and waited. Her eyes wandered around, searching for the place the meetings were held at.

It was across the street and down the right. It wasn't big and it had a yellow and white stripped awning. On one side of the door it said "MARY'S" in white letters and on the other side, also in white letters it said "SESSION". Well, they were in the right place. The light changed into a little white person and she jogged across the street, not for a second trusting the taxi cab drivers, and waited for her mother on the other side.

"You can walk a little faster, you know!" Thalia yelled through cupped hands at her mother. Her mother just made a face and took her time. Without planning on waiting, Thalia walked towards Mary's Session and walked inside. A little bell went off, making Thalia look up in surprise at the rainbow colored bell.

"Welcome, what may I help you with?" a blonde woman with green eyes said from behind a big brown desk. Thalia walked over and leaned on her elbows over the counter.

"I made a call a few days ago to meet here today; Lilah Grace?" Thalia said. Following the name, a loud trill rang out announcing the arrival of her mother. The woman typed away on her computer as she stared intently at it.

"Hm… oh-kay, here she is," the woman said. She grabbed a card, wrote her mother's name on it, stamped it and handed it to Thalia. "Today and the next Tuesday are completely on the house, after that, every hour is $25. After the second stamp, you pay for the next visit," the woman smiled.

"Thank you," Thalia said as she grabbed the card.

"Your mother goes in alone. You're welcome to wait for her out here," the woman said as she stood up to open up the little brown door that led down a hallway. "The meeting starts in about five minutes." Thalia looked at her mother and nodded. She seemed annoyed, but with a quick pat down of her dress she walked down the hallway, the _click-clack_ of her shoes slowly fading. "Third door on the right!" the blonde woman called after her. Thalia smiled at the woman and sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting room. The only other person was a man who was probably about 5'7 with cropped, messy brown hair. He sat cross-legged as he read a sports magazine. Thalia sighed. This would be a long hour, so she did the normal thing. She pulled a few chairs together, lay across them and took a nap.

"Yo, wake up," someone said as Thali+a felt something poke her thigh. She opened her eyes to see her mother prodding her with her foot. Thalia sat up and rubbed her eyes. Once she got her bearings, she stood up and followed her mother out the door.

"So, how was the meeting?" Thalia asked after an uncomfortable silence. Her mother shrugged.

"Boring and dramatic," she commented as she yawned. "Woman kept trying to get me talk, which was pointless because I'm not a drunk." Thalia scoffed. Her mother glanced at her, but stayed quiet. The rest of the way home was awkwardly quiet and uneventful, until. They were walking through the doors, her mother pushing passed her, when there was a loud _pop!_ With a startled yelp, Thalia flung herself sideways and hid behind the wall next to the doors at the entrance of the building. She just about punched herself. It was just a car.

Her mother was long gone and she sighed into her shaking hands, ashamed. She was walking up the stairs when she saw an old man sitting next to a door who had seen it all. Bring on more embarrassment. He looked at her curiously, as if he knew what was going on, but she didn't stay to find out. She ran up the stairs, hiding her face and walked into her apartment. Her heart was beating faster than normal, but she tried to shake it off. Unsuccessfully. She took a long, hot shower to relax herself and went to bed. And to her great relief, with no nightmares.

Wednesday came quick. She went to school and dealt with every day school things. She stayed a few minutes after school to get the extra credit. Luckily, it was short, so she could hand it in the next day. She walked out of her school, but she didn't have to wait long until she had to go to Percy's apartment, so she made her way to the arcade. She only had about $2 in her pocket, so she would have to use her coins wisely. After she spent about an hour playing and half an hour working on the extra credit and homework, she headed out.

She shouldered her backpack and made her way to Percy's apartment. She wondered what would happen when she got there, what Percy would want to say to her after their eventful night. She shuddered. She really didn't want to talk about it, but she didn't want to be mean either. She wished something would happen to get her out of it.

She was walking towards the steps of his building when Nico came bursting out the doors.

"Hey Nico –" she stopped abruptly when Nico stormed passed her, bumping into her shoulder, but barely noticing she was there. She jumped forward to catch the door before it closed as she looked back at Nico, who was stomping down the sidewalk. _What in the world?_ Unsure, she walked into the building, up the stairs and down the hall to their apartment. She softly knocked on their door. It creaked open until she could see Percy's face and only the left side of his body.

"Is everything all right? I just saw Nico –"

"I know," Percy said sullenly. In the distance, she could hear the faint sound of someone crying and she had a pretty good idea of who it was. Percy shifted, resting his shoulder against the doorframe.

"It's probably best if you didn't stay," he said softly, looking down. Before, she would've said "awesome, see ya!", but this time she actually felt worried. She could tell something was wrong. She didn't like the look in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" she found herself asking. It didn't even sound like her. Percy sighed and quickly cast a glance behind him.

"I'm fine. Maybe I can see you Saturday?" he asked quietly. Thalia nodded.

"Yeah, sure," she said. Percy tried for a smile, but didn't quite get it.

"Cool," he whispered before he closed the door. Thalia walked back to her apartment with her hands shoved into her pockets. She had wanted something to save her from babysitting, but she didn't want something like this… whatever it was.

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Thanks for the reviews guys! And I hope you enjoyed this chappie. And also, I would appreciate if people stop reading my mind :D hahaha, seriously, it gets scary. Anyways, let me know what you think! :)


	34. Sweep Me Off My Feet

**34. Sweep Me Off My Feet**

The next few days were kind of boring and mostly uneventful. She had seen Leo trying to approach her several times, but never making it because Cindy was conveniently in the way. Now, Thalia was sure something was going on between them. Only once he was able to talk to her, and it had only been about ten seconds between classes.

"Hey," he had said.

"What is it?" she asked, annoyed to have to stop in the sea of kids who figured shoving was the fastest way to get to their class.

"Maybe we can hang out sometime? Out of school?" he asked hesitantly.

"Leo, I don't think so," Thalia answered. Half because she didn't really need to hang out with him and half because she had sort of promised her weekend to Percy. He looked down at his feet. She sighed. "Sorry," she muttered as she walked away.

She closed her eyes and lay down across the couch. She was losing her touch. She was getting soft. And no matter how hard she fought it, it was still happening. She looked up at the ceiling. Every once in a while she'd remember Percy's face. She chewed on her lip, wondering what could've disturbed him so bad. He seemed so carefree and that was probably what she lik- what she noticed most about him. And she hated it.

She glanced at the clock of the TV; 5:30 PM. She still had about thirty minutes to wait before she headed out to Ms. Whirly's house. She lay on the couch, fully dressed and ready to go, but didn't want to because she didn't want to spend the extra time waiting awkwardly at her house. And she didn't even know why she was invited. It wasn't babysitting and it obviously wasn't "to say thanks", so what was the deal?

"_One… 21 guns… Lay down your arms, give up the fight. One, 21 guns…" _she sang softly as she closed her eyes and swung her foot. She felt peaceful. No sounds, but her own voice. Her mother was somewhere off, doing god knows what and the streets were surprisingly quiet. She would fall asleep if it weren't for the dinner. She opened up one eye to check the time; 6:00 PM. Time to go. She got up, grabbed her bag at her feet and ran out the door.

She walked swiftly, so it didn't take her too long to get to their house. When she got there, there was a really fancy and bright red corvette next to Ms. Whirly's usual silver sedan. Now, Thalia had a vague idea about what was going to happen. Clearing her throat, she knocked on the door.

"I'll get you it for you!" a man's voice yelled from the inside. The door swung open and Thalia's jaw almost dropped. A man stood in front of her, tall with a dimpled chin, dark eyes and closely cropped black hair. He extended his hand to shake hers and introduce himself. But there was no need.

"Hello," he said. "I'm Tristan McLean."

* * *

_So this was the movie star Pumpkin had mentioned the last time I was here. _They sat at the table, passing around bowls and plates and accidentally dropping food everywhere.

"I'm so glad you could come," Ms. Whirly smiled. And it was a genuine smile too; no faking or forced smiles and laughter. Ms. Whirly was finally happy. She glanced at her boyfriend and her kaleidoscope eyes beamed.

"Me too," Thalia said, as she stuffed a spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. She still couldn't believe that Tristan, the famous Cherokee actor, was sitting just across from her. McLean tried to pick a piece of chicken off of Ms. Whirly's plate and she smacked his hand with the back of her fork. He pulled his hand back as he made a funny face and Ms. Whirly just laughed. Thalia looked at Pumpkin and sent her a smile. Pumpkin rolled her eyes, but Thalia could she was happy as she watched her mother.

"So, Thalia, how have you been?" Ms. Whirly asked as she scooped some more peas onto her plate.

"Oh, let's not talk about me. I want to hear about you! How did you guys meet?" Thalia asked, hoping Ms. Whirly wouldn't ask her again. They both chuckled.

"Well, I was starting to close up my shop when he walks in for a haircut," Ms. Whirly began.

"And she says: excuse me, are you blind? Did you not see that I am closed?" Tristan said, adding sarcasm to what she said. Ms. Whirly laughed.

"I didn't care he was an actor! I was closed and closed is closed."

"So I said, I'll give you $300 for a haircut –"

"And I told him he was crazy! I wasn't going to be bought, so I told him to leave –" Ms. Whirly continued.

"But I planted my feet and told her I wouldn't leave without my haircut, but I also didn't want to leave because she was just so beautiful," Tristan said as he grabbed her hand. Ms. Whirly blushed. "But she was stubborn –"

"And I grabbed the broom and started sweeping at his feet telling him to go and come another day with an appointment," Ms. Whirly giggled.

"I couldn't believe it! I'd never been, literally, swept out of a salon!" Tristan exclaimed as we all started laughing.

"So, the next morning he calls for an appointment and, out of the goodness of my heart, I let him come in," Ms. Whirly chuckled.

"And after my incredibly stylish haircut," Tristan said as he passed his hand around his head to show off his wonderful haircut, "I asked her to get coffee with me."

"I said yes and one thing led to another until well… here we are," Ms. Whirly said as she smiled at him. Thalia laughed. It sounded like a story worthy of Ms. Whirly. Thalia leaned back as she rubbed her stomach.

"That's a cute story," she commented.

"Yes she is," Tristan said. Thalia glanced at Pumpkin and giggled. They spent the next two hours exchanging stories (Pumpkin sharing stories of how she tumbled down a mountain when she had gone skiing once) and joking about Tristan McLean's movies.

"I'm telling you. I had nothing to do with the poster!" Tristan chuckled as he raised his hands. "I just pose and smile and it's the other guys' jobs to make me look like doofus," he joked. Thalia laughed as she clutched her stomach that was rapidly getting sore from laughing. She had always assumed celebrities were stuck up snobs, and while that was probably true for most, Tristan McLean was definitely an exception. Thalia glanced at her watch and her eyebrows went up in surprise. She whistled.

"Well, I think I should get going," Thalia said as she stood up and stretched her legs.

"Sure dear, it is getting late," she said as she stood up and started grabbing plates and stacking them up like pancakes. Thalia did her share of cleaning up the table and sat with Pumpkin as Ms. Whirly and Tristan shared quality time in washing the dishes.

"So, how's it feel to know your mother's dating a celebrity," Thalia joked as she tapped Pumpkin's shoulder with her fist. Pumpkin stretched and leaned deep into her chair with her little legs extended.

"It's kind of cool. We even got to ride in his corvette once," she smiled.

"Sounds like fun," Thalia said. Pumpkin nodded happily. Ms. Whirly and Tristan finished the dishes and turned to the girls.

"Well, I think it's time we all start getting home," Ms. Whirly said as she stood behind Pumpkin and ran her fingers through Pumpkin's blonde locks. Thalia stood up.

"I agree. It was a nice dinner, Ms. Whirly," Thalia said as she scooped up her bag and slung it across her shoulder.

"Oh, call me Venita," Ms. Whirly said.

"Will do, Venita," Thalia smiled. She bid a farewell to Tristan and Pumpkin and left for her apartment. It was late, so she walked through the noisiest streets and as swiftly as possible. When she got home all the lights were off and it was silent. She took out her phone, mostly to put alarms to not wake up _too_ late the next day, when she saw she had a message. The very tips of her lips went up into a small smile.

_Can you meet me at the building we danced in at 6:00? – Percy_

Thalia dropped her bag next to the door and threw herself on the couch, but quickly jumped up when she heard a startled yelp. If she were a cat, she would be attached to the ceiling right about now.

"Don't sit on me!" her mother complained. Thalia's heart raced from the scare. She was so busy on her phone she didn't even notice her mother lying down on the couch.

"Jeez, sorry," Thalia muttered as she shuffled into her room and lay down in her bed. She pulled up her messages and texted back.

_At the very top? – Thalia_

_At the very top. – Percy_

Thalia crinkled her nose. She hated heights and she barely made it up the first time. But she wasn't going to show that she was scared.

_Cool. I'll see you there – Thalia_

_Thanks, goodnight – Percy_

Thalia's fingers hovered over the screen, wondering if she should text back. She chewed on her lip and decided not to. She placed her alarms, took a quick shower and went to bed.

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Thanks guys for the reviews so much! I really, truly appreciate them and they always make my day :) Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and yes, we're getting really, really close to that special Perlia moment, don't worry! Anyways, here's something I was thinking about, though I can't ask anyone else because no one around me has read the book, so:  
Here's some Food for Thought:  
If Percy and Nico ever had to fight, who do _you_ think would win? :) Everything allowed.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics. All credit goes to 21 Guns by Green Day.**


	35. Going Insane

**35. Going Insane**

Since Percy wasn't around, she let her emotions show. She tried to keep her eyes on the stairs and her body stuck to the left side as she slowly, but steadily made her way up. She tried to breathe calmly without getting dizzy, but her hands still shook. _Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't- WHY DID YOU LOOK DOWN?! _She froze and pressed herself against the wall. She grunted and decided to just get it over with. She ran up the remaining steps and almost burst through the door up top. The sun was hovering right over the horizon, making Percy a silhouette against the light. He stood at the railing, resting on his elbows as the wind whirled his hair softly.

Thalia walked quietly and sat down on the bench, deciding not to bother him. His body language clearly said he wasn't happy. The bench squeaked as she sat down and Percy turned to look at her. He smiled faintly, though she could barely see his face.

"Thanks for coming," he said as he walked over and sat down next to her; so close their knees were a breath apart.

"No problem," Thalia said, without looking at him. Percy stayed quiet, like he was pondering his thoughts and only wanted her there for moral support.

"Are you okay?" she asked, breaking the silence. Percy's straight face suddenly crinkled as he frowned. _Great, I just made it worse._ He took a deep breath and spoke, but kept his eyes on the setting sun.

"Did you know Nico wasn't my biological brother?" Percy asked and the question kind of took Thalia off guard, though she wasn't that much surprised. Nico looked nothing like Sally or Percy, except for the equally messy black hair. They were very different. Percy was tan with green eyes while Nico was pale with brown eyes. Thalia didn't say anything, though. Percy bowed his head. "He didn't know," he said softly. He sighed and sniffled, as if he had been crying earlier.

"We adopted him when he was only 3 years old," Percy said and then he smiled softly, like he was remembering that day. "Mom had everything done. All we had to do was pick him up and there he was; with a jacket a size too big for him so it dragged on the floor and a spider-man lunchbox." He smiled and looked up at the horizon, the light shining unnaturally in his green eyes. "When we got home, he opened up his lunchbox to show us his toys and it was packed to the top with mythomagic cards and toys," Percy chuckled, but then he looked down. "He had every god and goddess of Olympus… except for one. A few days ago, he met a girl that had the god he was missing."

"But… isn't there more than one statue?" Thalia asked softly, wondering how Nico could come to such huge conclusions by something not so uncommon.

"Oh yeah," Percy chuckled half-heartedly. "But none with his initials carved into it," he sighed. That's when Thalia understood.

"The girl was his sister. They were separated when they were little, but he was so young he didn't remember," Percy said.

"Where did he meet her?" Thalia asked. Percy shrugged.

"Some all-girls camp out here. They met in an arcade. The reason he came home that day all grumpy is when he saw the statue she had. The day you came by he confronted mom about it. He didn't come home until really late," Percy said, leaning back and putting his knuckles under his chin. Thalia frowned. She had made herself believe that everyone's life was so much better than hers, but she was wrong. She wanted to say something, but she wasn't going to say something like "I'm sorry" because she really wasn't. And she never found much sense in that phrase to begin with. How could you be sorry for someone else's problems you didn't cause? And it's not like many people ever meant it when they said it.

But either way, she felt the need to comfort him, she just had no idea what to do. She wasn't good at this; at making people feel better. She raised her hand and hesitantly and awkwardly touched his shoulder. Percy didn't look at her, but after a few seconds he reached up to touch her hand. She was a little tempted in letting him do so, but she couldn't bring herself to do it and she quickly pulled her hand back. Clearing her throat, she scooted away, as much as the small bench allowed. Percy looked at her and his eyes seemed to shine like emeralds. He had a special look in them and Thalia had an idea what it meant. But his stare was making her nervous. She forced a weak smile and stood up and walked towards the railing, though she cursed herself as soon as she reached it.

She hated heights, and this was a pretty tall building. Her hands were sweating, but she was too stubborn and didn't want to give herself away. She heard Percy come up next to her before she saw his swirling black hair.

"Why do you do that?" he asked, looking at her. Thalia shifted her feet.

"Do what?" she asked without sparing a glance at him.

"Pull away," he said.

"I don't," Thalia defended herself. Percy leaned in closer and she almost instinctively leaned away.

"See?" Percy said and Thalia sighed.

"Sorry," she muttered, though she wasn't even sure why she should be sorry at all. They weren't a couple or even dating (officially). She had every right to pull away. Without saying anything else, Percy grabbed her hand and she felt a small jolt go up her arm. And she immediately started panicking. Thalia Grace does _not_ get butterflies for a boy. He turned her towards him and she had to look up since he was several inches taller than her. Oh the perks of having a 6 ft. friend.

She noticed he was moving in and she knew what would happen if she didn't pull away. But you know what the crazy thing was? She didn't move. She kind of didn't want to. She found herself leaning in, to meet him half way. Their lips touched and it sent a tingle down her spine. Percy got closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tight. And she didn't resist. She couldn't remember this feeling; of being wanted, of being desired.

Her hands reached up and twirled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, even though she was already on her tip toes to reach him. He smelt like the ocean, like it was living inside him. And he seemed just as gentle and just as rough. The first time they had kissed, he had been soft and gentle, but this time he was rough, she could tell. And she knew just why.

He seemed calm on the outside, but inside he was raging; from Nico's discovery and the gods know what else. But she didn't mind. In fact, she liked it and she requited it. She grabbed at his shirt, her nails digging into his back as his hands held her tight. He wasn't the only who wanted to blow off steam. The anger in Thalia's stomach was revealed in her scratching and nipping of his lips. So much so, Percy jerked away, a small trail of blood lining his lips.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but she barely finished her words when Percy came barreling in again, with more force. She could taste his blood, but it didn't really phase her. They pulled and tugged at each other, as if it was some fight to see who was better. Her kiss had always been rough, but this one seemed to soar above all of them. No one had ever had the same enthusiasm, the same desire to want more than a simple kiss. Anyone who saw them would think they were fighting. Percy swung her around, so her back was against the wall and the railing. At this point, she'd be having a panic attack at being positioned like this on the terrace of such a tall building, but at the moment, she didn't really care. She would feel goose bumps up her arms every time he would stray from her lips and kiss her jawline or her neck. And she was surprised to feel muscles flexing in his arms under her touch. He didn't look like it, but he was fairly buff.

Moments later they broke apart and he rested his forehead against hers. They were breathing a little heavily and Thalia suddenly felt tired. Like the anger had been her energy and she had given it all away.

"I thought for sure you were going to punch me this time," Percy whispered. Thalia smiled.

"I thought about it," she teased. They were silent for a few moments until Percy spoke.

"Thalia…" Percy said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to go out on a date with me?" he asked.

"Isn't it a little late for that?" she asked sarcastically.

"Maybe… but do you?" She looked up, their eyes meeting and there was that look, the one she had seen many times before. It was the look of someone who liked you, or maybe even something more. Several days ago, her answer would've been NO. But something must've happened, something that was making her go insane, that made her say yes.

* * *

This was the moment we'd all been waiting for! :D I hope I did okay with it. Let me know what you think.

And also, I was interested so many people said Percy! I thought for sure someone would root for Nico, lol. To be honest, I'd think it was a draw, but that's just me :D


	36. Doctor Who

**36. Doctor Who**

He had offered to walk her home, but she had refused it. She needed time to think. They parted ways and she was immersed in her thoughts on her walk home. She thought about the kiss. Was it right? Was she beginning to feel something for him? _No, that… that can't be right._ She shook her head, but she couldn't escape the thought that she wanted to feel him again. She chewed on her lip. Ever since her parents screwed up everything they had, she had taken a secret vow to never be vulnerable, to always be strong in the face of any danger. If she stayed with Percy, she'd be breaking the vow. Nothing was more dangerous than staring heartache right in the face.

But the tiniest voice rose above all others, saying "maybe it's worth it". _But what if it was a mistake?_ That was the biggest question. What if it went terribly wrong? What if Percy wasn't the guy he seemed to be? Caring, nice, sweet and occasionally rough? _What if._ Her brain was hurting from so much thinking, so she shrugged it off for now and tried to focus on the more important task at hand; life.

She walked up the stairs and into her apartment to find her mother eating the last of the pineapple at the island. She was wearing sweats and her hair was pulled into a messy bun with a white bandana holding back loose strands. She had dark circles under her eyes like she hadn't had the best night.

"I was wondering where you had gone," her mother commented as soon as she walked in.

"I was out," Thalia said as she left her bag next to the door.

"No shit," her mother said and Thalia just rolled her eyes. She walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge for something to eat, though there wasn't much. She decided on cereal. She pulled out a bowl, poured in some Apple Jacks and ate them without milk. She sat at the island, across from her mother.

"You have to go to the doctor soon," she commented as she grabbed some Apple Jacks and tossed them in the air, trying to catch them with her mouth.

"Ugh, doctors. No thanks," her mother said.

"You have to. You're pregnant, if you remember," Thalia said sarcastically.

"But I don't want to!"

"I don't really care if you want to. You have to," Thalia countered, exasperated with her mother's stubbornness, though she couldn't say much because she was the same.

"I'm not going," her mother said as she stood up and pulled a coke out of the fridge.

"Yes you are. Even if I have to drag you there," Thalia said, not bothering to look at her mother as she played with Apple Jacks.

"Don't I get the say so?" her mother said. Thalia looked at her.

"You used to. And don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for the baby," Thalia said, not really worried about her rudeness. Her mother's eyes closed to slits. Thalia shrugged.

"If you would've kept your act together, we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. And you can take out all your anger on me, but you're still going to do what you have to do. So like before, get an appointment and if you don't, I will," Thalia said as she finished her Apple Jacks. She stood up and chucked her bowl into the sink.

"Just remember!" Thalia called out again as she walked into her room. It was dark and she had to turn her light on. She kicked her shoes off, but she wasn't quite ready to go to sleep. She bit her lip as a tiny smile came to her face. She shuffled to the side of her bed, fell to her hands and knees and pulled out the guitar from under her bed.

She placed the case on her bed and took off her pants and shirt to change into something a little more comfortable; a pair of yellow cotton shorts with the number 23 on her rump and a black tank. Once comfortable, she opened up the case and pulled out the guitar. She pulled out a small clip in her hair that was holding her messy bangs back and shook her hair so it fell loose around her shoulders. She sat cross-legged on the bed, thought a second about what to play, and started strumming.

She almost couldn't believe the song she was playing. But she didn't want to stop.

"_What day is it? And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive. I can't keep up and I can't back down, I've been losing so much time,_" she sang. She felt her body move with the music and she smiled. This time, she sang without restraint; without haunting memories or uncomfortable flashbacks or the fact she had given this up. It was finally fun.

"'_Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose. And it's you and me and all other people and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you." _She fell back and pulled the guitar to her side. She slid under the covers, checked her alarms for the morning and lay down. She wasn't too sleepy, so she used her fingers to randomly pluck at the strings. There was no real music playing, she just wanted to hear the sounds she had excluded from her life so many years ago. But before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

* * *

Her alarm blasted in the morning and she sat up, looking around like she didn't know where she was, before she relaxed. She moaned and rubbed her eyes. She looked around, and realized her guitar was resting in its case in front of the closet. _What?_ She could've sworn she hadn't gotten up and put it away herself. Shrugging it off, she got dressed for school and headed out.

She got one of those mini headaches as soon as she stepped out of the building.

"Blach," she moaned as she massaged her forehead and made her way down the sidewalk. It was nice and warm outside and this time she wore shorts, converse and a flowy black spaghetti strap shirt. Though she wished she had picked a lighter color when she could almost the heat absorbing itself into her clothes.

Then, the inevitable happened. She started thinking again. This time about everything. Wondering if her mother would really call for an appointment, what would happen between her and Percy, the baby, school and for some reason, even Leo and Cindy. She walked into school, into the herd of teens waiting for the bell to ring. Leo was standing across the lobby and he waved at her. Thalia waved back but then shook her hand as if she was trying to set off fire. Did she just wave back? _I'm going insane! I'm going soft!_

She had to walk passed him to get to his class and she was hoping he wouldn't stop her. But of course, he did.

"Hey Thalia!" he said, sending her his mischievous grin.

"Hey Leo," Thalia replied unenthusiastically.

"Hey, I was wondering…" he said, as he looked at his feet. Thalia had an idea where this was going. "Can we, um, talk?" Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"What about?"

"I can't say right now," he said as he gave a quick scan of the lobby. Thalia wasn't sure what was so important he couldn't tell her now, or why he was looking around as if someone unpleasant would show up. Thalia shifted her weight to one foot as she fixed her backpack.

"Leo, if you can't tell me now, I'm not going to waste my time," Thalia said as she began to walk away. Leo caught her arm.

"Please. It's nothing really bad, but I just… I just want to get it off my chest," he said, sincerity dripping off his words. Thalia hesitated. She gritted her teeth as she knew what she would say.

"Okay, how about today after school?" He nodded. "Meet me at the arcade Fun and Games."

"Thanks, Thalia," he said, cracking a small smile. Thalia forced a smile, though it probably looked more like she was in pain. He let go and she walked away, wondering what Leo wanted to tell her, what "secret" he wanted to reveal.

* * *

Hey guys! Sorry I took so long for this chapter! So, I'm glad everyone liked the last one. I actually enjoyed writing it a lot :D Just a warning though, this week I probably won't update 'cause of school and some things I have to make up, etc... So! Be patient, lol And like always, let me know what you think about this!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics. All credit goes to You & Me by Lifehouse**


	37. Saved by the Bell

**37. Saved by the Bell**

As she walked through the halls, she realized she had forgotten something. Her face crinkled as she remembered. _Dr. Woodrow._ She was thinking so much about Percy's problem and Ms. Whirly's dinner she had completely forgotten. Not that she tried to intentionally remember, anyways. She figured Dr. Woodrow would be calling for her at any moment and give her a scolding. And she was right.

As soon as she hit her sixth period, there was already a green slip waiting on her teacher's desk. And she had a gut feeling she knew for who it was. The bell rang and she had barely taken her things out when the teacher called her. _Frick, frack, and a freaking frunkle._

She took the note and instead of saying "when class work allows" it said "immediately".

"You may go. We're not doing anything important today," he said. Thalia nodded, grabbed her things and left. She figured Dr. Woodrow would give her a good scolding. Tell her how avoiding things will only make it worse. _But I'm okay now._ She hadn't had nightmares. She hadn't had bad scares anymore. It was gone. She was fine. She has to be. She walked into Dr. Woodrow's office, expecting to see her scowling at the door for her, but instead she was smiling and typing away on her computer.

Thalia sat down and waited for her.

"Good afternoon," Dr. Woodrow smiled.

"Good afternoon?" Thalia replied, a little bit confused.

"I'm sorry. My daughter sent me an e-mail," she said, her eyes glued on the computer. Thalia raised her eyebrows. She hadn't known Dr. Woodrow had a daughter. It seemed kind of weird, though. She seemed so young to have a daughter; and one she never spoke about.

"That's cool," Thalia said awkwardly.

"Yes. She's coming to college over here and she needs a place to stay," she said, as she pressed enter and turned to Thalia.

"I haven't seen her in years," she said and Thalia couldn't help but feel a little out of place. Since when do adults talk to teens about their life? "Oh, she's such a beautiful and smart girl. I can't wait to see her." Thalia nodded.

"Well anyways, back to business. Don't think I didn't realize you didn't come by last Friday," she said, sounding more like herself. Thalia shrugged innocently, but it didn't work. She naturally looked like a rebel.

"Well, how did your weekend go?" she asked. Thalia sighed and leaned back in her chair. She swiped at her hair to move her long black bangs out of the way. She hadn't gotten a haircut in about a year or so. And she's been too busy to do it herself.

"Like any other," she said, though she almost smiled when she said it. It was definitely not like any other weekend. But she wasn't about to say "I kissed a boy and I liked it" to her counselor. Dr. Woodrow pursed her lips.

"Dear, I want you to at least try," she said, a little bit sullen.

"Try what?"

"You know exactly what."

"I don't –"

"You do." Thalia looked at her. "You know what the worse part of all this is? It's that you know it. And that scares you. And that's why you hate it so much. _Because_ it scares you," she said, and Thalia was unconsciously gripping the chair. Dr. Woodrow studied her. "You're holding on to that chair pretty tight. Am I getting closer?"

Thalia wanted to scream at her. Every word she had said was too close for comfort. And Thalia hated nothing more than someone being right about her feelings.

"You don't know anything," she growled.

"Then why don't you tell me?" she said.

"Because it's none of your business," Thalia said lowly.

"It's not a weakness, Thalia. It's strength if you can face it."

"Oh yeah?" Thalia challenged. Dr. Woodrow thought.

"Think of it this way. There are two parties at war. The only thing separating them is a river, but one of the parties… well, he's afraid of water. So, if he can't cross the border to fight his enemy… he won't win. So… if he never faces his fear –"

"He'll always lose," Thalia said, realizing what Dr. Woodrow was getting at. She smiled.

"Exactly." Thalia sighed. She wondered if she should say something. She still didn't feel comfortable talking about herself, but was Dr. Woodrow right? And she didn't want to believe she was. _She has to be wrong. I can live with the fear._ But what if she was wrong?

"Well.. it was Sunday –" but the school bell cut her off. Dr. Woodrow looked disappointed and like she wanted to strangle the bell.

"You should head to your class. We'll talk Friday," she said, signing the pass and giving it to Thalia. Thalia almost couldn't believe it. _Saved by the bell._

She went through her next to periods thinking about how she had almost spilled her guts and started wondering what good that would do her. It's a fear of guns, not a fear of drowning. As she headed out the double doors at the end of school, she heard her name and she froze and cursed herself.

She'd forgotten all about Leo. She turned.

"Hey!"

"Hey," she answered unenthusiastically. Without saying anything else, they walked to the arcade in total silence. Leo whistled, clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

"So?" he said, trying to create a conversation.

"I'm staying long enough for you to tell me what you supposedly need to tell me. No more, no less," Thalia said, without sparing a glance. Leo cleared his throat. They reached the arcade and sat down in the food area. It smelled like pizza and it made Thalia's stomach growl in response. The tables were yellow on top and rimmed in red, with red seats. On top, you had your normal ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper, but with a candle lit right in the center.

That candle kind of threw the whole place out of whack. It was all games and junk food, but their dark pink candles that smelled like strawberries seemed so out of place, it almost made sense. Thalia slid it aside to rest her arms on the table. Leo slid into the seat in front of her.

"Hey," he said. Thalia just looked at him.

"We went through this already, just tell me what you wanted to tell me," she said and suddenly he looked nervous.

"Thalia, do you ever do something you wish you just, well, didn't do?" he asked. Thalia nodded. He sighed. "Well, I had one of those moments a few weeks ago," he said.

"And what does this have to do with me?" Thalia asked.

"Kind of everything," he said. "Do you remember the day we were in detention the same day?"

"How could I forget," Thalia said sarcastically.

"We were in there for the same reason," he said. And Thalia's curiosity and suspicion grew.

"What do you mean?"

"I- I was the one who spray-painted the classroom," he said sullenly, looking at the table like it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. Thalia's hands clenched.

"You mean to tell me I was blamed because of you?" she asked through gritting teeth.

"I didn't know! Cindy asked me to do it," he explained, and a look came over his face as if there was more to Cindy "just asking him" then he was letting on. "She-she said to take the can and put it in a locker and she gave me the number for yours. I- I didn't know!" he said, as Thalia leaned back, a look of surprise and anger crossing her face. That was the thought she couldn't place. The two people she had seen arguing down the hall the day she left lunch early was Cindy and Leo. That's why the boy had seemed so familiar. How did she not see it?

"So…" she said, surprisingly calm. "You framed me?"

"No! Well, not really. I didn't mean to. It was Cindy. She was the one who told me to do it and that's why she didn't want me talking to you. She didn't want me to tell you, because she got caught. _That's_ why she was suspended. Mr. Brunner found out and –"

"Why are you telling me this? Why now?" Thalia asked, her angry blue eyes looking at Leo, he almost wanted to cringe away from them.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. I was stupid to do it and I know it's my fault, but Cindy –" he slammed his fist against the table and the candle fell, lighting his sleeve on fire. He yelped and jumped up, waving his arm to get rid of the fire. Thalia only rolled her eyes. She pulled off her light jacket and smacked his arm, stopping the fire with one swift move. Leo was panting. Thalia got up and started walking away.

"Thalia! Wait!" Leo called after her, but she was just too angry to even answer. The logical side of her told her that it wasn't Leo's fault; that she should blame Cindy. But the bad side of her didn't want to listen. She was seething and if she stayed anywhere near Leo, he would end up with something worse than a slight burn.

* * *

Hey guys! I'm glad you liked the chapter. A few things:

To **annabethandpercy4ever**: I won't answer that as to not spoil anything. I am not saying yes and I am not saying no. Just wait and see.  
To one of the guests: This is mainly a Percy & Thalia story. Annabeth will not be a big part of this, sorry. But no worries, troubles will ensue like they always do!  
And to another guest: There will be more Perlia moments, but this isn't solely about them. Thalia's and everyone else's life is a big part of it. It's romance, but not strictly.

I'm okay if you guys ask questions, BUT some things I won't answer. Like the famous Stephen King said: **Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.**

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorite/followed this story! You guys make me want to continue this story with a vengeance :) And thanks to bringing me up to **292** reviews! Never have I gotten so many! It's kind of awesome :) So, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and, don't forget, let me know what you think!

YOURS IN DEMIGODISHNESS AND ALL THAT! PEACE OUT!


	38. Pillsbury

**38. Pillsbury**

She was burning up inside. She wasn't even sure why she was so pissed. Mr. Brunner took away her punishment, she knew he understood the dilemma, she had no repercussions. If anything, she should be ecstatic that Cindy got busted. If she'd known any sooner she would be laughing in Cindy's face and maybe even doing the rain dance to rejoice that the universe had finally wronged Cindy, but she didn't feel happy.

She wasn't even friends with Leo, but she was furious he had lied to her. She walked into her apartment, slamming the door behind her.

"Whoa, not so loud. Headache," her mother complained from the couch. Thalia ignored her. She ran into her room, threw her bag on the floor and jumped on her bed. It shuddered under her weight as she buried her face into her sheets and her too long hair.

"I can't believe it," she mumbled into her bed. She turned onto her back and sighed. She sat up, slouching and glanced into the mirror. The anger put her in a stink mood and everything she saw bothered her; even the fact her black hair was just below her shoulders. She rubbed her face when her phone went off. She moaned, but answered anyways.

"Hello?" she answered lazily.

"_Hey Thalia_," Percy's voice said. She never thought someone's voice could make her feel better, even just a little bit.

"Hey," she said. "What's up?"

"_Well, Mom is having a dinner tomorrow. She wants you to come. She thinks we're a couple…"_ he trailed off, as if saying "not my fault, don't kill me!". _Aw man!_

"Did you tell her we kissed?" Thalia asked bluntly.

"_Eh, no. She's just really good at guessing…_" he said, and Thalia could almost see him shrugging his shoulders. _"She knows me as if I were her son,"_ he said, and then chuckled. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Look, I don't know Percy…" Thalia began. She wasn't sure. Were they a couple? It's not like you automatically become a couple if you kiss. The biggest question, though, is if she wanted it to be true. The idea of Percy being her boyfriend didn't seem as farfetched as it once had, but she wasn't sure if she was ready or willing. Isn't there some kind of requirement of how much you're supposed to like them? Like "if you like me insert measurement then we should totally go out". She could even imagine those people who open up their arms as wide as possible and say "I love you this much!" Cliché. She moistened her lips. The idea of getting together wasn't revolting…

"_Thalia,"_ Percy's voice broke her out of her thoughts. _"Are we a couple? Or was that just… some kind of fling?"_ he asked. Thalia opened her mouth, but she seemed to be tongue tied. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she didn't want to say no and maybe lose her chance.

"I don't know," she said. "Are we?"

"_No, I guess not,"_ he answered. "_Do you want to be together?"_ he asked, a little bit cautious. Thalia chewed on her lip. She felt like she was holding scales, but wasn't sure which way they were leaning. Yes or no?

"How about I answer that at the dinner?" she asked, trying to put it off for a little bit longer.

"_Uh, yeah. Sure. The dinner is tomorrow at six, is that okay?"_ he asked.

"Yep, totally fine," she answered. With a quick farewell, Percy hung up, leaving Thalia listening to the loud _rrrr_. She pursed her lips. She walked into the bathroom, disrobed, and hopped into the shower. She let the warm water run down her back as she thought about Percy's question. _Do you want to be together?_

Did she? She scrubbed her head, sliding her fingers through her hair as she thought about it; keeping her eyes closed to keep the shampoo from falling in her eyes. She turned to rinse off her hair, accidentally bumping into the little ledge that held the soap. She rinsed and when she moved for the conditioner she stepped on the soap, falling forward and hitting her head against the bathtub.

She knocked herself out cold.

* * *

"_Honey, please think about this!" she pleaded desperately. Thalia peeked out the crack of her door at the scene taking place down the hallway._

"_I'm done, Lilah!" he growled angrily._

"_Eli, please!" her mother cried. She grabbed his shoulders, but he pushed her off with one hand while his other one held onto a big, brown suitcase. Thalia's mother had tears streaking down her face with her lips turned into a frown with trembling lips while Thalia's father, Eli, stared at her without sympathy._

"_Please… don't…" she whined. He opened his mouth to say something, but Thalia had leaned through the crack too much and had fallen over with a thud. Their heads snapped in her direction at the same time. Her mother looked a little shocked, but her father looked sullen. He set his suitcase down and walked over to Thalia and knelt in front of her._

"_Hey darling," he said, forcing a smile, but even though Thalia was young she knew it wasn't genuine. "I'm sorry, you should go back into your room."_

"_Are you leaving, daddy?" she asked in a high voice. His eyes opened a little, and he seemed sad and like he didn't know what to say. _

"_Hun, I have to –"_

"_Please, don't leave me daddy!" Thalia squeaked, lunging forward and wrapping him up into a hug in her little arms. He pulled her arms off._

"_I need to go, Thals," he said. "I'm sorry," he said with sorrowful eyes. Thalia's own eyes started to water._

"_Daddy, please don't leave me!" she cried. He gave her a pained look, but didn't say anything. He stood up and left, grabbing his suitcase on the way._

"_Daddy!" Thalia screeched as she followed after him._

"_Thalia!" her mother called, but Thalia ignored her. She didn't want to lose her father. He walked out the door and Thalia stumbled out into the hallway._

"_DADDY! DON'T GO!" she cried at the top of her lungs. He kept walking. "DADDY!" she cried, her words gurgling into sobs. She bawled as she tripped on her own little feet and fell on her knee. She looked up and watched him walk away as she choked up._

_He never looked back._

* * *

She woke up with a gasp. Her head was throbbing and her body felt too cold. The shower was still running and her hands were pruny. She got up, holding onto the wet walls to keep her balance as she crawled out of the bathtub. Her body was sore and her arms were stiff as she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. She glanced into the foggy mirror, trying to clear up the glass, and saw she had a huge gash on her right brown. She had a thin line of blood trailing down her temple, cheek and neck.

"Ouch," she whispered as she wiped at the wound with a wash cloth and placed a butterfly stitch over it. She got dressed and walked out, trying to shake away the terrible dream she'd had. She hated that day and she did everything in her power to forget it. But no matter what she did, it would still pop up, reminding her that her father didn't love her. Or at least, not enough. Night had fallen and it was about 1 in the morning. _Had I been unconscious that long?_ She went to sleep.

The next day went by in a blur. She spent the whole day avoiding Leo, even eating her next period classroom to not sit in the lunchroom. She wasn't sure if she was going to forgive him. She really didn't want to. And it wasn't like she needed to. She sighed. But she really didn't want to eat lunch in her classroom with her teacher watching her for the rest of the year.

After school, she spent the next three hours before Sally's dinner to do her homework. It was a little hard, since her mind kept drifting off during classes. Like she knew anything about quadratic equations. And she tried to figure out why math had to have so many freaking variables. _Call it English class and you won't know the difference!_

Twenty minutes before six, she got dressed; slipping on a pair of boot cut jeans, converse and a black jersey with the number 13 printed in blue. She hadn't seen her mother since she had gotten home, but she didn't bother looking for her. She sprinted out of the house and towards Percy's apartment. No one answered the buzzer, they just let her in. She walked up the steps, and knocked on their door.

To be honest, she had no idea what she was doing. What if Sally started asking embarrassing questions? What if she asked if they were together? Thalia still had no idea if she wanted them to be. How would the dinner go? What if things were still tense from the fight with Nico and she sat there awkwardly? WHAT IF! Too many of those, and it was making her head whirl.

The door swung open. Sally's smile was wide and smelled like candy and cookies; it almost made Thalia's mouth water. The smell of baking Pillsbury bread wafted through the threshold and now Thalia couldn't wait to go in and devour the food that smelt _so good._

"Come on in," she said, stepping aside.

"Definitely," Thalia commented as she walked in.

* * *

Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out! I got a little stuck, lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry there wasn't much Perlia in here, but I promise the next one will be worthwhile! I don't want to rush it either. But, to let you know, there'll be lots of sweet and... juicy moments ;) Thanks a lot for the reviews! They always make my day~ And who knows, maybe there will be another Perlia story! :D hahaha


	39. Count Them

**39. Count Them**

Thalia had always imagined dinners with big tables with fancy plates and silverware and everyone keeping their elbows off of the table with napkins spread over their laps in the nicest room in the house. This was nothing like that. The food was still in their pots set over shells woven together into coasters to protect the table from the heat. The plates and silverware weren't fancy, they were simple white ceramic plates with a spoon, a fork and a knife. It was all placed on the table inside the kitchen. You'd think that would seem awkward and disgusting, but it seemed totally and completely normal.

"Let's eat while it's hot," Sally said, as she skipped around the table and sat at the head. Percy grinned at Thalia with a piece of bread sticking out, while Nico seemed like regular old Nico again. He wasn't as giddy, but he smiled as he threw a piece of bread at Percy.

"Boys, come on, we have a guest," Sally scolded, though she didn't sound angry and she just smiled at them. Thalia felt completely out of place. She sat down, but she felt awkward. She hadn't participated in a family dinner in a little over ten years.

"Go on, take as much as you want to eat," Sally smiled. Her smile warmed Thalia like butter on bread. Sally was everything she wanted her mother to be. Everything she didn't have. She reached for the mashed potatoes.

"And so she reaches for the potatoes that have been savagely smashed by the ever ruthless Sally Jackson," Percy said, sounding like those guys that held auctions. Nico laughed.

"Very funny," Thalia said, sending him a playful sneer. She filled her plate as Sally made small talk. And then…

"So, Thalia, tell me. When did you and Percy start dating?" she asked, but she didn't sound annoying; just somewhat embarrassing. Thalia felt her cheeks get hot, and she could only imagine they were a slight shade of pink.

"Mom!" Percy exclaimed. Sally shrugged her shoulders, and Thalia suddenly realized where Percy got his shoulder-shrugging habit from. They looked different, but yet scarily alike.

"We haven't really been dating long," she said. "Hardly any, really."

"Oh…" she said with a hum. "I think Percy's lucky to have you," she said and Percy looked down and covered his face. Thalia could only imagine he was trying to hide his red cheeks. And then she said something that shocked the hell out of her.

"I think it goes both ways," she said. She tried to cover her shock with a soft smile, but her head screamed: WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! Percy looked up from his hands and looked at her with surprise and suspicion in his eyes, and Nico chuckled. She laughed nervously, and stuffed mash potatoes in her mouth to stop herself from saying anything else embarrassing and stupid.

"Well, I think you guys are adorable," Nico teased. Percy eyed him and the moment Nico took a swig from his coke, Percy bumped his shoulder, making Nico spill soda all over his lap. He glared at him while Percy grinned.

"I'll get you, don't worry," Nico said.

"Yeah right," Percy scoffed.

"I'm just saying, better sleep with one eye open from now on," Nico said with a sly smile.

"Don't worry, I'll help you," Thalia whispered. Nico gave her a high five while Percy looked like he had been utterly betrayed. Thalia smiled at him and mouthed "sorry", though she obviously didn't mean it.

"This is mutiny! Mutiny, I tell you!" Percy exclaimed, and we all guffawed. Thalia couldn't believe dinner could be so much fun, especially because Sally wasn't any ordinary mother.

"So then, Percy was sitting in the bathtub and suddenly all these little bubbles started popping up! And he looks at me with that angelic smile of his and says: I'm a duck!" Sally laughed, while Percy was as red as a tomato. Thalia and Nico laughed hard and it was to the point her stomach started to hurt.

"And he really did sound like a duck! I'm just glad he left the farting in the bathroom," she chuckled.

"MOM!" Percy said. Thalia was wiping at her eyes, she was laughing so hard.

"Jeez Percy McFarty Pants," Nico joked.

"Oh! I wouldn't be so quick, Nico!" Sally exclaimed, and Nico looked utterly scared. He shook his head, but Sally ignored it and continued.

"We were watching this movie, that seemed scary, and Nico got so frightened when this squirrel jumped into the screen that he peed himself," Sally said. This time it was Percy's turn to laugh. Nico's cheeks turned bright, bright red.

"Need some blush for that flush?" Thalia teased.

"Hey, that squirrel was terrifying!" Nico tried to defend himself, but it didn't work.

"Sure," Thalia laughed. He stuck his tongue out at her, which only made Thalia laugh even more.

"Come on Thals, you must have some embarrassing kid stories," Percy said, and Thalia flinched at the nickname. She tried to cover it up quickly, though the look in Sally's eyes told her it hadn't gone unnoticed. She cleared her throat. She couldn't let her past memories affect her anymore. She tried to shrug it away. She wanted to tell Percy not to call her that, but she didn't want to do it in front of everyone, so she let it go.

"I think every kid does," she said. "Of course, I wouldn't remember any of mine," she said smoothly.

"Bullocks," Nico commented in a terrible Australian accent. Thalia shrugged innocently.

"Oh well," she smiled. She took a swig of her coke and grinned triumphantly about the fact she couldn't be embarrassed. They spent the next half an hour eating, joking, eating and well, eating. It got to the point Thalia could barely breathe because she was so stuffed. When they finished, they put the dishes in the sink and packed away any remaining food, which there was barely any. Hey, when you've got two teenagers and a half, food doesn't last as long.

"Hey mom, can Thalia and I hang out?" Percy asked.

"Sure sweetie, just don't let her go home too late," she said as she washed the dishes.

"No problem," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheeks, grabbed Thalia's hand and dragged her out the door.

He held her hand and pulled her up the stairs, chattering the whole time about much she was going to like whatever he was going to show her. She couldn't help but be amused. She stumbled up the steps behind him, feeling like her arm was about to be pulled out of its socket.

"Percy, where are you taking me?" she asked. He sent her a grin.

"You'll see," was all he said. Thalia rolled her eyes. They reached the top only to stand in front of a big metal door.

"Really?" Thalia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just watch," he said. He kicked the bottom of the door twice and elbowed it right above the lock. There was a soft _clunk_. With a big smile he pushed the door and it creaked wide open.

"Nice trick," Thalia commented as she stepped out the door and onto the terrace. It was smaller, so she quickly got a view of just how tall the building was and she almost got a heart attack. Clearing her throat she took a step back, bumping into Percy.

"Whoops!" she said as she stepped forward again only to moan and retreat. She was close to getting a whiplash. Percy caught her arm and she tried to force a smile to cover her embarrassment. _Nice one, Thalia_.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said, stretching out the words a little and clearing her throat.

"Well, this is what I wanted you to see," he said, walking forward and leaning over the rail. The wind ruffled his hair and inflated his shirt, making him look like he was on a ship out at sea. Thalia stayed where she was. She refused to spaz out next to Percy. He looked back.

"Come on," he said.

"Uh... I'm okay," she said. "I'll stay here." Percy raised his eyebrow at her.

"Come on," he repeated. Thalia shook her head. He looked confused, and when he looked out, it seemed to dawn on him.

"Oh," he said. "Don't worry, come on," he said gentler.

"Percy, I –" she couldn't finish because Percy grabbed her hand.

"It's okay. Trust me," he smiled. Thalia chewed on her lip, but he slowly pulled her forward. Her breathing grew heavy and her heart started beating faster as she started to feel hot and cold at the same time.

"Percy, I don't think this is such a good ide –" she cut off into a soft gasp as her eyes travelled over the skyline and the street fifteen stories below. She hadn't realized her hand was shaking until Percy held it with both his hands. She pulled her eyes from the too high heights and looked at him.

"You okay?" he asked. Thalia pulled her hand away.

"Of course I am," she said, though she sounded a lot more confident than she felt. He smiled.

"So," she said, trying to change the subject. "How many terraces do you know?" she asked, thinking about the one up in the abandoned building. He chuckled.

"Just these two…" he said. "Possibly." Thalia scoffed.

"Hey," he said. Thalia looked at him, trying to keep her fear off her face. She was standing at the rail of a fifteen story building and her insides were screaming. It was a mystery she wasn't frozen solid.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to dance again?" he asked. Thalia chuckled.

"You like it that much?" she asked. He turned and rested his back against the rail, which made Thalia's heart leap into her throat.

"I don't know. I just feel like dancing when I'm with you," he said, and then he put his green eyes on her. "And I could tell you like it too," he said, with a crooked smile. Thalia was about to protest, but he raised his hand.

"One more time," he said. He didn't give her time to say no. He pulled out his phone and played a song. Thalia was surprised. Percy seemed to know the music she liked without asking. He took her hand and pulled her away from the railing she was gripping, which she was thankful for.

_Wrap me in a bolt of lightning. Send me on my way still smiling. Maybe that's the way I should go. Straight into the mouth of the unknown._

He pulled her in and positioned himself like a pro; holding on to one hand and using the other to wrap it around her waist. He started to sway softly, shuffling his feet slowly, side to side, forward and backward, creating a perfect rhythm.

Thalia followed his movements, melting into his body. Their bodies pulled into one and they moved with fluidity. He turned in soft and gentle circles, her hair swishing with the movement. She looked up to see him smiling down at her and she couldn't help but smile back. Dancing woke up everything inside her; almost as good as singing. Her skin tingled and she felt like heat waves were travelling up and down her body. He loosened his grip on her waist and extended his arm. She twirled out, her hair whipping around her like an open skirt and rolled back in, landing with her back against his chest. She gripped his other hand, and they swayed as she put her head back against his chest.

_Call me a sinner, call me a saint. Tell me it's over, I'll still love you the same. Call me your favorite, call me the worst. Tell me it's over, I don't want you to hurt._

She swung out and rolled back in, falling into the original position. The touch of his skin against hers felt seductive and the fact that no one was watching made it harder for her to keep herself under control. There was something… addicting about him. As soon as he touches her, all hell broke loose. He placed both hands on her back and she leaned back, her hair swinging over the dusty terrace. She slowly came back up to find his face, and his lips a lot closer than before. Their foreheads touched and they swayed, forgetting to actually dance. Their breathing was heavy.

"Thalia," he whispered. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

She looked up, her icy blue eyes staring into his. She didn't answer. She got on her tip toes and reached for his lips. She struck out first with a tentative lick, which made him suck in air, before she gave him a full on kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer. She didn't know what was better; his lips against hers or his hands that ran up and down her back giving her major goose bumps. This time, there wasn't pain or sorrow in their kiss like before. It was soft, yet strong and full of teenage passion. Not to mention the loud music fueled her desire, the way it vibrated in her bones, bringing her to life.

He bent down, and for a second she wasn't sure what was going on, until she felt his strong hands on her thighs. She jumped up and he pulled her in as her legs wrapped around his waist. She kissed him harder and he definitely requited. She could feel his beating heart against hers and it seemed to fall in time with the music.

_So, I'll be on my way._

It all felt right. The song ended and they pulled away.

"Yes," she whispered. He smiled and gave her another kiss. He set her down, but he held her hand as he sat on the floor, pretty much pulling her down with him.

"Okay," she said, as she fell on her butt.

"Look," he said, pointing at the sky as he lay down. Thalia looked up and was surprised to see so many stars in Manhattan.

"Wow," she breathed. She couldn't remember when was the last time she had seen the stars. "I can see the stars again." Percy opened his arm.

"Come on, count'em with me," he said. She leaned down, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arm around her. She was so surprised how good it felt to have someone hold her. The last time someone had held her was… roughly ten years ago. It was crazy. She had been without a family for ten years. And knowing Percy showed her everything she had missed. And she wished she hadn't. They raised their arms and started counting.

"One," Percy began.

"Two," Thalia smiled.

"Three."

* * *

Okay, so hopefully, this chapter satisfied your Perlia thirst :) I just want to make sure: I like to give lots of details with the "love scenes" and I'm sure everyone's okay with that, right? lol And like always, let me know what you think! (also let me know if there's any spelling errors).

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics. All credit goes to Call Me by Shinedown.**


	40. Golden Slumbers

**40. Golden Slumbers**

"_Honey, come inside," she pleaded._

"_No!" she cried, sitting at the door's threshold; waiting for the person who had left her hours ago. Her mother sniffled._

"_Thalia," she said. "He's- he's not coming back," she said, choking up. Thalia looked back. Her mother was a mess. The strap of her dress was down one shoulder, exposing most of her polka dotted bra and her mascara was running down her cheeks._

"_But –" Thalia began to protest._

"_Dammit Thalia!" her mother said frustrated, stomping her white stiletto. Thalia jumped as her mother sobbed. "Just get inside," she said, trying to sound strong, though she didn't quite manage it. She walked away, not looking back to see if Thalia had listened to her. Thalia looked out when she heard a weird pattering sound. She looked back and jump, toppling over. Water was flowing down from the hallway and was pouring out the kitchen sink, filling the entire apartment, washing away everything in its path. Thalia was frozen in fear. The water rushed around her. There was a loud wailing sound._

"No!" Thalia yelled, sitting up. Her hair flew and fell down her shoulders. She took a deep breath when something wet fell on her nose. She gasped and wiped at it. She looked around, forgetting for a moment where she was. _Oh._ _OH! _She was still on the terrace! She looked down and saw Percy still sound asleep. She was breathing heavy when another drop of something fell on her hand. She looked up, to have another drop fall in her eye.

"Gah," she said as she rubbed her eyes. It was starting to rain. Moving her stiff body she poked Percy in the cheek.

"Wake up," she said. He swiped at her hand, and turned over. She rolled her eyes. She stretched out, aimed at his small, but firm butt and kicked.

"Ya-ow!" Percy yelped as he jumped up. He rubbed his sore backside. "What the hell?" he asked sleepily. Thalia stood up. "What happened?"

"We fell asleep on the terrace, that's what happened," Thalia grumbled as she shook dust off her ass. She checked her watch and paled.

"Aw man, it's 1:00 AM, Percy," she said. Percy seemed to wake up.

"Crap," he said. More raindrops fell.

"Let's go before it decides to pour," she said as she made her way to the big metal door, making sure to keep her eyes straight to avoid looking off the building. They shuffled in and gripped the rail as they sleepily made their way down the stairs. They stopped in front of his door. Thalia murmured a bye and kept walking, but she was pulled back.

"Not leaving without a goodnight kiss," he said, giving her a sleepy cockeyed smile. He bent down and gave her a quick and sweet kiss. But she was too sleepy to enjoy it and she almost fell backwards by almost falling asleep.

"Whoa," he chuckled as he held her from toppling over.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Sure, night," he said. She mumbled night and left. She heard him sneak back into his apartment as she started to walk down the stairs. She wasn't sure how long it took to get to her apartment, but she narrowly made it as it started raining cats and dogs. She stumbled into her apartment and was walking blindly to her room when there was a loud sound. She screamed and threw herself on the floor. Her arms were shaking, but when she looked around, it had only been the TV.

Her heart was hammering and her knees felt like jelly, but she managed to stand up. Her mother was zonked out on the couch, the remote still in her hand and ID was playing. A reenactment was on where a man was holding a gun, and Thalia's heart beat faster. She stepped back into the island and gripped it hard. Her breathing was coming uneven and there was another loud gunshot and she felt like her nerves were being fried. She couldn't stand it anymore. With a raspy gasp, she lunged away, her hands slamming against the wall as she stumbled down the hallway.

She felt like her heart was constricting itself and she couldn't breathe. Her hands were shaking and she didn't know what to do. She burst into the bathroom, and fully dressed, jumped into the shower and turned it on. Freezing water rushed down her skin and she gasped from the sudden cold. She shivered as she sat in the bathtub.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm- I'm okay," she stuttered. She rocked back and forth, trying to calm herself. Her jaw was clenching, as she tried to stop the painful chattering of her teeth. She closed her eyes.

"_Once there was a way, to get back homeward. Once there was a way, to get back home,"_ she sang softly and unevenly through chattering teeth.

"_Sleep, pretty darling. Do not cry. And I will sing you a lullaby. Golden slumbers fill your eyes. Smiles await you when you rise. Sleep, pretty darling. Do not cry, and I will sing you a lullaby…"_ Her body slowly relaxed, despite the cold water rushing and soaking through her clothes. She wasn't shaking from fear anymore, though she was still a little bit scared. She shut the water off, waited a few more long moments and then stepped out of the tub, dripping like a waterfall on the small rug next to the tub.

Her mother used to sing her that song when she had nightmares or couldn't sleep. It had always relaxed her, and even though her mother wasn't her mother anymore, the song still made her feel warm inside. She stripped, wrapped a towel around her, and skipped into her room. She got dressed in her PJs and went to sleep. It took her a while, since her heart was still beating a little too fast, but she eventually did.

Her alarm went off. She rolled over, moaning, and turned it off with her eyes closed. Hey, habit. Taking a deep breath she got up.

"Whoo…" she said as she saw her messed up hair in the mirror. "Not good," she moaned. She yawned and got ready for school. Before heading off, she glanced in the mirror. She looked decent; a pair of Capri with rips going across her thighs and knees, converse and a snug black V-neck. Her hair was just below her shoulders.

"Gah, I need to get a haircut," she mumbled, as she looked at her hair in disgust. She left quickly and barely made it to school.

"You're cutting it close, Ms. Grace," Mr. Whatley commented as she walked in while the bell went off. She shrugged.

"I can only walk so fast," she said sarcastically. Mr. Whatley shook his head and ignored her. She rested her cheek on her palm and she listened to the boring semantics of government. Her mind kept drifting off into the clouds, and she kept missing chunks of her class. But she couldn't help it. She kept thinking about the stars, the dinner… the kiss. And then she exhaled roughly when she realized she wasn't plain old single Thalia Grace the goth girl anymore. She was a girlfriend. She covered her mouth.

Her skin tingled, but she wasn't sure if it was good or bad. Then she thought about the kiss. _Good… definitely good._ She was so buried in her thoughts she hadn't heard her teacher call her. It was already third period, and she kept zoning off, so it still felt like first. She was about to say "yes Mr. Whatley" when she realized she was in English, not government. She cleared her throat.

"Thalia, get up here," Mrs. Myer said, somewhat impatient. Thalia stood up and grabbed the paper the teacher was handing her.

"Thalia," Mrs. Myer said before she could turn around and sit back down.

"Yes Mrs. Myer?"

"Your opinion _and_ conclusion of Romeo and Juliet was both intriguing and rather pessimistic," she commented. Thalia forced a smile. What was she going to say? "Thank you, pessimistic is what I aim for"?

"Try lightening up in the future," she said, sending her a smile. Thalia tried to return it, but she probably looked like she was about to puke; and that wasn't too far from the truth.

"Well, uh… thanks?" Thalia said as she quickly turned and almost ran to her desk. She sat down, and almost immediately her mind started to wander off again, but this time is wondered to her mother. Her hand tightened on her pencil. _THE MEETING!_ She was so busy with Percy's stupid dinner, she'd forgotten all about the meeting! And she figured her mother probably didn't go. She sighed. She hoped they wouldn't kick her out for missing a meet.

She spent the rest of the day fuming about it. She was walking home, thinking about what insults she was going to use against her mother when her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered a little grumpily. She cleared her throat. "Hello?" she asked a little nicer.

"_Thalia! Everything all right?"_ Luna's sweet voice came on the line.

"Peachy," Thalia said.

"_Well, I'm calling to ask you to come to Manhattan Paradise to do some volunteer work with me. Tim got some last minute work, so he can't go with me this time."_

Thalia mulled it over, but she didn't really feel like spending time at an old folk's home. Not that she had anything against old foggies, but it's not like she liked to spend time around people who criticized her black and ripped clothes, unruly hair and black eye liner. Guess when you get senile, you also get mouth diarrhea.

"I don't know, Luna," she said, trying to sound nice. Luna was a good person and had helped her with many things, like last-minute studying for a math test she was almost destined to fail and had passed with a solid C -.

"_It's only for a few hours and it's not as bad as people say it is,"_ she added to try and change her mind. Thalia gritted her teeth, but sighed. She owed it to Luna.

"All right. Just tell me when," she said. Though she didn't think she'd regret it afterwards.

* * *

Okay, so I'll admit, this chapter is a little bit slow, sorry about that. But, I think the next one will have a little more something :) I hope you liked this chapter and just in case no one got it the first time: in the previous chapter when Thalia says "I can see the stars again" that was a mini tribute to Zoe :) NOW, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**I do not own the lyrics. All credit goes to Golden Slumbers by The Beatles.**


	41. Whataya Want From Me

**41. Whataya Want From Me**

She shuffled back to her apartment, wondering how bad her Sunday was going to be volunteering at that freaking old foggy home. She sighed. Can't be that bad, right? She walked into her apartment, already preparing to give a good scolding. Her mother was sitting on the couch, her legs crossed over the coffee table with a bowl of Apple Jacks. Her stomach was big enough to rest the bowl on top of it and she ate happily, crumbs sliding down her yellow cotton dress that had several white stains over it from the time Thalia had spilled bleach and the dress just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Thalia dropped her bag and walked over to her mother, moistening her lips.

"I went," her mother said before Thalia could say anything, which kind of took her off guard.

"What?"

"I went. Granted, about 45 minutes late, but… I went," she said, looking at Thalia. "You'd know that if you hadn't spent all day at your boyfriend's house!" she spat, seeing Thalia's glare.

"He's not –" she flinched. He actually was. Her mother scoffed. Thalia rolled her eyes, but inside, she kind of felt the tiniest bit happy her mother had gone.

"Did you get the card stamped?" she asked. This time her mother rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," she said absentmindedly. Thalia shrugged and left. That was probably the best answer she would get out of her. She walked into her room and changed into something a little more comfortable. She could hear the TV in her room, so she turned on her radio; something she hadn't done in over six years. It was still on her favorite station, though now it seemed to have more pop than before. It was no biggie. She didn't mind listening to other kinds of music; having been a kind of minor musician, she'd learned music is music.

"_Hey, slow it down. Whataya want from me? Whataya want from me? Yeah, I'm afraid. Whataya want from me? Whataya want from me?"_ the radio played. Thalia unconsciously smiled. This had been one of her favorite songs for a while. It made her think about her mother, mostly, wondering, literally, what her mother wanted from her because it seemed that no matter what she did, it wasn't good enough. Her hips started to sway as she listened to the music.

_There might've been a time when I would give myself away. Once upon a time I didn't give a damn. But now, here we are. So whataya want from me? Whataya want from me?_

Thalia let the music sink in and she turned it up, blocking out the noise of the TV. She grabbed her hairbrush and waited for the chorus. Taking a breath, she sang along.

"_Just don't give up! I'm working it out! Please, don't give in! I won't let you down! It messed me up, need a second to breathe! Just keep coming around! HEY! Whataya want from me? Whataya want from me?"_ she sang, jumping around her room, her hair whipping around. She had forgotten how good singing made her feel, and she wondered why she had given it up. She didn't hold back this time. She let it all out. Her voice was loud, not really needing the help of a microphone to be heard.

"_Hey! Whataya want from me?! Whataya want from me?!" _The song ended, and she was left breathing heavily. She turned the music down and she realized she couldn't hear the TV anymore. Had her mother left? She turned the music all the way down and right before she opened her door, the TV resumed. _Odd._ She shrugged and left her radio on the remainder of the day; while she did homework and showered. She went to bed, almost too ecstatic to fall asleep, but as soon as her head touched the pillow it was lights out.

The next day was nothing special and completely normal: boring classes, bitchy Cindy, avoiding Leo. She came home and did her homework, like every other day. Thursday was very uneventful, but the same couldn't be said for Friday.

She made it to class seconds before the bell rang, earning another one of those raised-eyebrow looks from Mr. Whatley. She struggled to pay attention through her next four periods and it came as a sweet relief when it was finally lunch. She was walking to her usual lonely corner when a high-pitched voice made everything inside her burn.

"What do you want _now, _Cindy? Done bullying Leo?" Thalia spat. Cindy's eyes narrowed at the mention of Leo, and Thalia knew she'd hit a nerve. She didn't know if Cindy realized if she knew everything or not, but Thalia would leave it to her imagination. It was so much more fun that way. But her momentary lapse of cockiness disappeared and she smirked.

"Heard about your mother," she said. Thalia's hand clenched into fists, but she did everything in her power not to show it. A few people stopped to watch the show unravel.

"Poor kid's going to be a bastard," Cindy said. Thalia was holding herself back from coming down on the prissy girl, but the double meaning of what she had said was making it hard. But it wasn't only the fact that Cindy was mentioning it in front of everyone, it was the fact that she knew at all. How? She hadn't even told Percy. Cindy strode forward, until she was looking down at Thalia.

"What's it to you Cindy. Your life just not interesting enough?" Thalia growled. Cindy smiled.

"I just really enjoy when people fuck up their lives beyond repair," she said lowly, so only Thalia could hear her. Thalia gritted her teeth. What did Cindy want? Why did Cindy start these pointless arguments?

"Cindy, if I were you, I would keep my mouth shut, or you're going to be needing a lot of concealer for the next couple of days," Thalia said through her teeth. Cindy raised a perfectly waxed eyebrow.

"I'm so scared," she said sarcastically. "You can't touch me,_ Grace_," she spat, saying the last word like it was as disgusting as rats pissing on your food. "I've got connections, and with the right words, I could make your life even more miserable. But I don't think I need to. Your mother does it enough for both of us. How does it feel being a major screw-up, Thalia? Being the freak in the school, the one person who doesn't and will never _fit in_? There's nothing special about you. You're as important as the gum on the bottom of someone's shoe. And you'll be just like your mother."

That was it. Thalia had had enough of Cindy's comments. She didn't even know why Cindy even went after her so much; it's not like she's actually done anything to her! Her hand balled into a fist and she struck out. Cindy fell back on her butt, clearly not expecting the punch. More kids gathered around them and the ones who had been watching oohed at the sudden hit. Thalia dropped her bag and straddled Cindy, who was so incredibly weak. Her sexual air wasn't going to help her now, and neither were her friends who were staring from the edge of the group. Thalia pinned her arms down.

"I told you you'd need concealer. Black-eyes don't cover themselves up," Thalia said. "Now you better choose your words wisely from now on, because hitting you was just so much fun, _Temparwhirl,_" Thalia spat. She stood up, but looked at Cindy again, who was sitting up and covering the left side of her face in utter humiliation.

"And real friends would've helped you," Thalia said, throwing her chin in the direction of Cindy's so called "best friends". Without another word, she grabbed her bag and pushed her way through the crowd of kids that had been watching.

In eighth period, she was called to Dr. Woodrow's office. She wasn't sure if Woodrow knew about the fight or not, but either way, she really didn't want to go. She didn't bother knocking the door and walked in.

"Good afternoon," Dr. Woodrow said. Thalia sat down.

"Hi."

"I heard about what happened in lunch today," she said, her grey eyes looking as unsettling as ever. Thalia sighed and leaned back in her chair. So much for hoping she hadn't heard about it. Now she had something else to grill her about.

"Yeah, I'm surprised I haven't been suspended yet," Thalia mumbled.

"I wanted to know exactly what happened and the reason behind it," Dr. Woodrow said bluntly. Thalia pursed her lips. She wasn't sure if she wanted to spill about how Cindy had been bullying her since the ninth grade. If Cindy got in trouble for that, she'd be known as the snitch, as the girl who couldn't handle it. She decided to give as little information as possible.

"Cindy and I don't get along," Thalia said. "She was saying some… unpleasant things and I snapped. I punched her and that was it." Dr. Woodrow's eyebrows scrunched together, as if she was digesting the new information and what was the best course of action.

"Had she done this before?" she asked. Thalia bit her lip.

"A few times," she said. Woodrow nodded.

"What was she saying?" she asked. Thalia squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with all the questions.

"Why does it matter?" Thalia said, feeling annoyed. Dr. Woodrow pursed her lips.

"I'm just trying to help you, Thalia. But I need to know what happened to be able to help you," she said, mustering a small smile.

"I don't know."

"Just tell me –"

"She was just making fun of my mother and me!" Thalia burst. "Like always!" she said, standing up. She caught herself and cleared her throat. She sat back down. "Just tell me how many days I'm suspended so I can get out of here," she said sullenly.

"You're not suspended," Dr. Woodrow said. Thalia looked at her, clearly surprised.

"What?"

"You'll have detention Monday and Tuesday of next week and that's it." Thalia's eyes opened wide.

"Are you serious? Why?" Thalia asked, leaning forward.

"The school isn't unaware of Cindy's behavior," was all she said. She smiled at Thalia, but Thalia still couldn't believe it. She had to admit it; Brunner Institution was the best school she'd ever been to.

* * *

Hey guys! I'm glad you guys liked the last one. So, I'm hoping you like this one just as much. And I think you guys will really enjoy the next two chapters :) And thank you so much guys for getting me over 300 reviews! That's amazing! And like always, let me know what you think about this chappie!

In other news: I was thinking about creating this new story (which isn't really a story), but a compilation of moments between different ships (percabeth, leyna, lazel, jiper or pason? ect...). And people review the ship they would want to read about next, and the next chapter will be about them. If you guys would like that, let me know!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics. All credit goes to Whataya Want From Me by Adam Lambert.**


	42. Iron Man 3

**42. Iron Man 3**

Thalia was still a little surprised, but nonetheless happy she didn't have to deal with suspension. She lay on her stomach on her bed as she read Pygmalion for her English class. In the solidarity of her room, she kept trying to pronounce the words the way Eliza did.

"How do you do?" she said in a deep voice. "How do you do?" she said, changing the pitch each time she said it. "How do you do? How –" she stopped when she heard a light scratching sound. She looked around, but didn't see anything. Plus, what could it be? It was like 9 at night. She kept reading, speaking Eliza's parts in her best impersonation when she heard it again. She stood up, placing the book face down, but open to not lose the page she was on. Then, she heard it again. It sounded like something hard hitting her window. She walked towards the sound and sure enough, she saw something dark hit her window. _Okay…_

She unlocked the window and tugged it open. She stuck her head out, only to feel something pointy and hard hit her forehead.

"Ow!" she complained as she rubbed her forehead.

"Sorry!" a voice came from down below. She leaned further out to see Percy standing under her window.

"What are you doing? Why'd you hit me?!" Thalia complained. Percy opened his hands.

"I didn't see you!" he said embarrassedly.

"What? Are you blind?" Thalia called down. His eyes darted around as his hands slipped into his jean pockets.

"The light from the light post was in my eye," he said. Thalia laughed and rested her chin on her knuckles.

"So, what are you doing here? Besides throwing rocks at my head?" Thalia asked.

"You wouldn't answer your phone!" he said.

"Whoops," Thalia said flipping her hands out, not the least bit sorry. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Can I come up? It's kind of chilly down here," he pleaded as he rubbed his bare arms.

"Why should I? It's not like you've done anything for _me_," Thalia said, smiling evilly.

"You are a devil spawn," Percy said, trying to go for a serious look, but failing and breaking out a toothy smile. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"You gonna murder me?" she said, as she stepped out and loosened the ladder.

"Nah, left my machete back at my apartment," he smiled. Thalia chuckled. The ladder dropped and Percy climbed up. She crawled back into her room and sat on her bed. She looked around to make sure she hadn't left any dirty clothes lying around. She would probably die if she had a bra or a pair of undies on her floor for the world to see. Luckily, it was clean, except for her guitar. She quickly grabbed it and shoved it under her bed right when Percy jumped in. He smacked his hands together to get rid of the rust from the ladder.

"Okay, so why were you calling me?" Thalia asked, as she sat on her bed. Percy went to sit next to her, but she pointed towards the chest. He rolled his eyes and sat down on the chest across from her.

"I was going to invite you to come with me to the beach tomorrow," Percy said. He looked around her room as she pondered it.

"Oh… Me? In a bikini? At a beach? Hmm… No," she said. Percy chuckled. "Beaches aren't my thing."

"Okay… so what do you want to do?" he asked, his green eyes watching her intently. She still couldn't figure out why someone as handsome as him would want to be with someone like her. She wasn't special, she wasn't even that pretty. She shrugged.

"I don't know," she said. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs; his black hair falling into his eyes. He casually flicked it out of his way as he pursed his lips.

"Okay, how about the movies? I hear they've got Iron Man 3 and people say it's awesome!" he said, getting excited.

"Sure, I love Iron Man," she said. Percy smiled.

"How much do you know about him?" Percy asked. Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"Is this one of those "is my girlfriend cool enough" tests?" Thalia asked. Percy raised his hands.

"Depends how much you know about DC," he said, sending her a crooked smile. Thalia stood up.

"Slick," she smiled confidently. "I know enough about Iron Man to know he's Marvel," she said, crossing her arms. Percy laughed.

"You caught me," he said. He walked over to the window. "So, what time you want to watch the movie?" he asked, as he stuck one leg out the window.

"I don't know. Like eight?" she said.

"Well, if you want to get up that early…" Percy trailed off as he stepped out.

"At night!" Thalia said, walking up to the window.

"Oh… right," Percy said, sending her a wink.

"You're such an idiot," she laughed.

"Yeah, but remember, you're dating the idiot," he said, as he bent down and gave her a kiss. She found herself getting up on her tip toes to reach him. She hated being so much shorter than him. He nipped her lip before he turned and started scaling down the ladder.

"Pick you up?" he called, half way down.

"I think I can get to the theatre on my own. I'll meet you there," she said. She watched him as he jumped off the ladder and strode out onto the sidewalk. He turned and disappeared. Thalia pulled the ladder up and closed her window. She felt a lot better with his short visit. She had momentarily forgotten everything that she hated, and her muscles didn't feel as wound up. She marked her book and took a shower. She took her time, feeling the water rush over her skin. She imagined she was washing away everything screwed up in her life and that it was all washing down the drain. If it only it was that easy. She hopped out, got dressed and went to bed.

She had hoped she wouldn't have any dreams, but of course, nothing ever went her way. She was in the middle of a New York street, but it was completely abandoned. No cars and no people walking around. It was in front of her building, she could tell that much. There was a slight breeze, which disturbed all the trash that was piled up on the sides of the street and on the sidewalk. She turned around, wondering what was going on when she saw someone standing next to her.

It was Percy. She was about to say hi, when her mother appeared behind her. She whipped around, catching another figure materializing behind her; a blob of changing faces. She stared at the floating object with changing faces and when she glanced at her mother, she realized she didn't have her swollen belly. The blob must be her unknown sibling. That only made Thalia's skin crawl. She looked away, not wanting to look at the disturbing and distorted figure. There was a loud sound, frightening familiar to a gunshot sound and her mother collapsed to the ground. Thalia ran toward her mother when the sound went off again. She spun to see the blob of an unborn child melt into goo. Thalia screamed.

That only left one person.

"Percy! Get down!" she yelled, as she ran towards him, but the sound went off and he collapsed. Thalia jumped forward catching him in her arms.

"No!" she yelled. His white t-shirt turned scarlet red and when she looked down, a smoking gun was in her hand. Percy's green eyes looked at her.

"Why?" he said in an old and spooky voice that seemed to drip betrayal. Thalia screamed, sitting up straight in her bed. She shuddered. She pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. That nightmare was terrible. It had been worse than all the others. She tried to take deep breaths and calm herself down. She looked up and sunlight was trying to pass through her thick purple curtains. She shakily got out of bed and opened the curtains, getting a mini headache as the sunlight smacked her in the face. She glanced at the clock on her table; 10:43 AM.

She walked into the kitchen and pulled out some Coco Pebbles. She had to do groceries; there was barely anything left to eat. She poured some milk into her bowl and walked into the living room. She turned the news on and sat back, enjoying the chocolate goodness.

"_Rumors of the family gambling are spreading. Though some believe it is the sudden drop in the stock market that is bringing the famous family to their knees," _a news woman spoke. Thalia rolled her eyes. She figured they were talking about another celebrity they had no business talking about. Seriously, don't they have lives of their own?

"_Regina Tempalwhirl refuses to give comment on the issue, but she does assure us that the rumors are exactly what they are, rumors."_ Thalia sat up. Tempalwhirl? As in _Cindy_ Tempalwhirl? Thalia knew Cindy was rich and very snobby, but to be considered famous? Thalia decided she should probably watch the news more often, but she had enough of Cindy already. Plus, as much as she hated her (and she hated her a lot), but somehow watching her problems so publicly felt wrong. It wasn't fair. Before she could second guess herself, she changed the channel. With a sigh, she leaned back, put up her feet and watched 27 Dresses.

She spent the entire day criticizing the blonde in 27 Dresses, but admiring her best friend; wondering how cool it would be to work at a museum where things came to life, thinking she would totally love a car that transformed into a kick ass robot and studying the effectiveness of Hannibal's plans and applying them to Cindy (it's not like she's going to _do _anything, but a girl can dream right?).

An hour before 8 she hopped into the shower. She loved her showers; warm water and absolute silence. Nothing was more perfect and no place was better for thinking. She stepped out and wrapped a towel around her. She stood in front of the sink and wiped the mirror to brush her teeth when she saw her long black hair hanging below her shoulders. She grabbed the tips and frowned. Long hair didn't frame her face right. She pursed her lips.

She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a pair of scissors from a drawer and ran back to the bathroom.

"Here goes nothing," she murmured as she grabbed her hair and cut it. About three inches worth of hair tumbled into the sink. If she wanted to change her mind, it was too late. Not very methodically, she cut around her head; hair littering the floor and clogging the sink. The more she cut, the more excited she got. She was beginning to look like her old self again and it felt liberating. She cut some ragged bangs that slid to the left, hanging right on her eyebrows. She pulled out her mother's old hair dryer and pointed it at her hair. She didn't bother with taking the brush and straightening it out. She just shook her hair and let the dryer do the work for her. When she was done, she looked in the mirror and couldn't help but smile.

Her hair was now around the middle of her neck, and the different lengths looked spunky and her bangs made her icy blue eyes pop even more. You could see her freckles better as they lay scattered over her nose and across her cheekbones. It looked like a whole new Thalia. She blew the dryer like it was a smoking gun and put it away. She skipped into her bedroom and got dressed; pulling on a pair of jeans, her ankle boots, a black tank with a black and blue, slim hoodie.

She left the apartment half an hour before 8. She tried not to sweat, because she hated smelling and looking gross. She wondered if she would have to call him, but she didn't need to. He was squatting down with his back against the wall as he held his phone in his hand. He seemed concentrated, biting his tongue as he looked intensely at his phone. Thalia stepped in beside him and squatted next to him.

"Assassin's Creed. Nice," she said, making Percy jump.

"No- aw!" he said, as he fell off a building and plummeted to his death. Thalia laughed.

"Oops," she said in her not-so-innocently way.

"Now I'm gonna have to start all over again!" Percy complained as he stood up and tucked his phone away.

"I feel so bad for you," Thalia said with fake sympathy. Percy cracked a smile.

"I like your hair," he said. Thalia suddenly felt self-conscious, but she nodded, forcing herself not to touch her hair.

"I've already got our tickets," he said, whipping out two small white pieces of paper.

"I can pay for myself!" Thalia burst. She hated when people bought things for her or even held the door for her. She could do things on her own perfectly fine. She's done it for ten years. And she's been doing pretty good.

"It's just a ticket –"

"No. I don't like it. Here," Thalia said, pulling out a ten.

"Thalia, that's what boyfriends do. They buy tickets for their _girlfriends_," he said, wiggling the tickets. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm not a typical girlfriend. Now take the damn ten," she said, slamming it in his hand. She picked the tickets and walked into the theatre.

"Okay, okay," Percy said as he caught up to her. One of the guys that worked at the movies checked their tickets and pointed them in the right direction. They bought a large popcorn and soda and walked into the theatre, picking seats all the way at the top. She wiggled in, hearing the _crunch, crunch_ of popcorn as she walked towards the middle of the isle and sat down.

Since Iron Man had been out for a while now, the room wasn't as full as it probably was before. Thalia held the popcorn, stuffing handfuls of the butter covered heaven in her mouth.

"Leave some for me," Percy teased. She chucked a popcorn at him and he stuck his tongue out. They had finished the exploded kernels by the time the movie started. Thalia pulled her feet up, leaving the empty bowl of popcorn on the floor.

About twenty minutes into the movie she felt something touch her hand. A little jolt went up her arm as someone else's fingers entwined themselves with hers. She wasn't sure if the sudden speeding up of her heart was good or bad. She left her fingers limp, wondering if she should rip her hand away or let him hold it. Percy looked at her and softly squeezed her hand. He smiled as if trying to tell her that it was okay. And it was. She wasn't even sure why she was putting so much thought it something so common.

Chewing on her lip, she curled her fingers around his.

* * *

Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews :) So, I don't even remember when Iron Man 3 came out, but I'm not really bothering with that time, just pretend it was out already. I hope this chapter was okay. I know it doesn't have as much fluff as the previous fluffy chapters, but it's a real relationship and real relationships aren't always lovey dovey XD I hope you liked it :)


	43. Corre

**43. Corre**

She tried to think of other things besides the fact his thumb kept caressing hers. She was close to maybe pulling her hand away when he let go. At first, though she wouldn't admit it, she panicked. Had she done something wrong? Hell, it's not like relationships come with a manual, but before she could look at him, she felt him move and felt his arm slide behind her and started caressing her shoulder. She wasn't sure if she liked it or hated it. Whichever it was, she wasn't ready and she leaned forward.

"Sorry," she muttered. He seemed to understand as he pulled his arm back. They watched the rest of the movie without any physical contact. Thalia almost laughed; so much for being a couple. When the movie was over, Percy walked her back home.

"Like the movie?" he asked. Thalia nodded.

"It was good. Any movie with a bunch of explosions is cool," she said. Percy chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said. He passed his hand through his messy hair that seemed to glow in the coming sunset.

"So, you doing anything tomorrow?" he asked. Thalia sighed.

"Yeah, I have to volunteer at some old people home with a friend," Thalia said. "Why not, I couldn't picture a better way to spend my Sunday," she added sarcastically, making Percy laugh.

"It can't be that bad."

"Old people are like alcoholics. That filter that usually kept them from insulting people has slowly deteriorated. Honesty is one thing, senile is another. Ugh, you just want to strangle most of them," Thalia said, remembering all the oldies she'd met before and how critical they were of her lifestyle, her choice in clothing, her everything. Percy laughed.

"Well yeah, I can agree with you on that one," he said. "Just try not to kill them, all right?" Thalia rolled her eyes.

"I make no promises, just be ready to bail me out," Thalia said with a smile. The next minute, they arrived at her building.

"Well, I'll see ya later," she said, as she started up the stairs. But something wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back.

"Well, don't go without a goodnight kiss," Percy smiled as he leaned in and kissed her. She felt a wave of heat travel down to her toes and she felt herself smile. She would never tell him, but she admitted it felt good being wanted.

"Goodnight," she said as she ruffled up his hair and walked up the steps. She walked into her apartment, feeling better than she ever had. She walked into the living room, but it was empty. She had expected to see her mother sitting on the couch, watching ID, but she was nowhere to be found. Thalia shrugged. She figured she was probably in her room snoring. She went straight bed, kicking of boots and jeans and sliding under the covers.

The next morning came too early. She got up, moaning because it was too early, and crawled out of bed. Still half asleep and stuck in zombie mode, she took a shower and got dressed. She got a call from Luna as soon as she pulled out her cereal.

"Helloses?" Thalia answered.

"_Are you ready, Thalia?"_

"Yeah, I'm going to eat some cereal and I'll head out."

"_Sure. I got here earlier, so just tell the receptionist you're with me and she'll tell you what to do. At twelve, we're going to help with the lunch and everything and then you can head out. My brother is here, so I'll be staying afterwards."_

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I'll see you there soon," Thalia said. Luna chirped a goodbye before hanging up. Thalia finished her breakfast, wondering what the day held in store for her. And if she was going to be running out of there a lot sooner than Luna was planning. Once done, she grabbed her bag and walked to the elders home, taking her time.

At one of intersections, she let her eyes wander around until they settled on a small white building nestled between two bigger ones. She blew at her bangs. Just do it and get it over with. She crossed the street and walked down the sidewalk towards the building, before walking inside setting off one of those stupid bells.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the blonde receptionist called. Thalia shrugged.

"I'm with Luna," she said. The receptionist nodded.

"All right, those bags in the corner," she said, pointing at a white box of a roll of trash bag, "are for changing the trash cans in every room. Do not go into the rooms with an orange or yellow tag on the doorknob. There's sometimes two trash cans, but it's usually one. It shouldn't take long. When you're done, you can meet Luna in the lunchroom," she said. Thalia nodded unenthusiastically. Just great. She gets to be a garbage person for a day. She grabbed the box and shuffled passed the reception desk and started walking into rooms.

Sadly, not many had orange or yellow tags, so she had to go to almost every single room. _This sucks. I wish I could just be in bed. Sleeping._ She walked down another hallway where the sound of a piano echoed through. It was soft and sweet, and Thalia felt like sitting outside the door and listening to it. But of course, that would seem a little weird, so she walked into another room. She changed the trash can, leaving the trash bags right outside the door for the janitor to pick up. Then, it was the piano room next.

She was a little hesitant, not wanting to disrupt whoever was playing, but she figured she had to, so she softly knocked on the door. After a few seconds, it swung open and a short dark-skinned woman stood before her. Long frizzy hair ran down over her shoulders and her golden eyes sparkled in the nest of wrinkles. Despite her age, Thalia had to admit she was beautiful.

"Hi," Thalia said awkwardly.

"Hi," she said with a warm smile.

"Uh, I have to clean your trash can," Thalia said, showing her the roll of unused trash bags.

"Sure, come on in," she said, stepping aside. Thalia walked in and looked around. The room was nicer than the others. Light poured in, bathing the baby blue carpet and the two full sized beds and… a big brown piano which had two men sitting at it. One was slightly hunched with bleach white hair, while the other looked to be a teenager with curly brown hair. They were playing the piano together, perfectly. Thalia tried not to stare. She walked to the nearest trash can and started closing it when she heard voices mixing into the music.

"_Me miras diferente. Me abrazas y no siento tu calor. Te digo lo que siento, me interrumpes y terminas la oracion… siempre tienes la razon,"_ the voices sang softly. Thalia had no idea what they were singing, but it still sounded beautiful. She figured it was probably, what? Maybe Spanish? Could be Italian? She wasn't sure, but the foreign language still made her feel relaxed. She tried not to make a lot of noise as the two men sang. She tried not to make it obvious, but she was doing things slower, wanting to stay and listen. That is, until she had finished her job. She bit her lip.

"Would you like to stay and listen?" a voice asked, making her jump.

"What?" she asked, turning around to see the same woman. She smiled.

"They don't mind an audience. I think they'd find it flattering," she said. "Come on, sit with me. It'd be nice to listen to it with someone."

"Uh…" Thalia wasn't sure what to say, but the woman walked over and sat on one of the beds. Thalia walked over and sat down next to her.

"_Así que corre, corre, corre corazón. De los dos tu siempre fuiste el más veloz,"_ they sang.

"It's not the happiest song, but it was the first one my husband learned to play," the woman said. Thalia nodded. They sang happily, despite the sad tone to the song until it ended.

"That was good, mijo," the old man said.

"Thanks abuelo," the kid replied, and Thalia felt her skin crawl. That voice… The boy turned around and Thalia's blood ran cold.

"Thalia?" he asked with wide eyes. Thalia tried to swallow the anger forming in her stomach.

"Leo."

* * *

I AM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG! I have a LOT of things going on and then... I got stuck -_- I'm going to try and keep the updates at least once a week, but I'm writing other stories, and beta-ing and I'm going to be going to work soon, so yeah... No promises, I'm sorry. Hopefully you guys like this chapter :) Let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer  
All lyrics belong to Corre by Jesse & Joy.**


	44. Badass Supreme

**44. Badass Supreme**

She couldn't believe it. The last time she had planned on ever seeing him was when he had set himself on fire. That was it. But no. Here they were, a foot apart, staring at each other in surprise in the unlikeliest place ever. She stood up.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"That is none of your business," Thalia shot back, completely forgetting the other two people who were also in the room.

"What's going on?" the older woman asked.

"Nothing abuela," Leo said offhandedly.

"Now Leo, don't you speak to your grandmother like that," the older man said. Leo rolled his eyes. Thalia took the chance to make an exit.

"Wait!" Leo called after her, but Thalia had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him since he lied to her. "Oh, come on!"

"Just leave me alone!" Thalia said, halfway down the hallway.

"It was a mistake!" Leo yelled, and Thalia stopped and looked at him. "Are you going to completely hate me because of a stupid mistake?"

"You should've never done it!" Thalia spat.

"Look, I had my reasons. And I regret it, but you can't blame me for it."

"Yes I can, I will and I have," Thalia said. The older couple walked out of the room to the argument raging outside. Thalia tried to cool her demeanor, but it wasn't easy. Just looking at him made her angry. Leo was about to say something when the woman put her hand on his shoulder and walked over to Thalia, who unconsciously took a step back. The woman smiled, her wrinkles moving with her lips.

"Thalia?" she said and Thalia nodded.

"Call me Hazel," she said. "Leo told me about what happened between you," she said and Thalia felt like turning and walking away, but she kept herself from doing so because the woman, Hazel, seemed too nice for her to be so mean.

"I'm not making excuses for him," she said. "But I think you should try and talk it out."

"Why?" Thalia said angrily.

"He did have reasons. Very serious and very hurtful reasons," Hazel said, a trace of sadness in her voice. Thalia's defensive stance melted as she saw the look on her face; full of pain and concern.

"What do you mean?" Hazel sighed softly, clearly remembering a memory that was painful to remember.

"When he was little his mother died in a fire he's made himself believe was his fault," Hazel said. "We moved over here for a new beginning, but the girl who lived in our town also moved. Using his tragedy as blackmail, she forced him to do what he did because he didn't want his past to define him." Thalia suddenly felt like a jackass. She was hoping it wasn't true, but Hazel didn't seem like she was joking. Thalia sighed. Then a thought occurred to her. Cindy was not the person she told everyone she was. She wasn't the pure bred city girl. She was a girl from a town in Texas. _That shouldn't be a surprise. Cindy was always a liar._

"So- so he didn't do it on purpose," Thalia said. Hazel softly shook her head. "Oh."

"He's with Sammy if you wish to speak to him," Hazel said, before she stepped outside. Thalia fidgeted with her jacket. She felt bad for treating him so rudely, but she wasn't the type of person to admit her mistakes, much less say sorry. She slowly walked to the door where the old man, Sammy? And Leo were. She sighed. _I don't need to say sorry. I can just leave and just… not ignore him anymore. No Thalia. Be a good Samaritan. _Swallowing down her pride she walked into the room.

"What do you want now? Gonna yell at me some more?" Leo said, the anger like an alien on his playful face. Hazel softly touched her shoulder as she sat down next to Sammy.

"No," she said sullenly. "I didn't know that –"

"Why do you need to? Why can't you accept people make mistakes?" Leo interrupted her.

"I'm sorry," Thalia said. Leo looked a bit startled.

"Sorry?" Thalia nodded. Leo raised an eyebrow before he cracked a teasing smile. "So the rock has emotions," he said. Thalia narrowed her eyes.

"Apology not accepted," he said. Thalia's eyes opened wide.

"Excuse me?!"

"Kidding."

"You're an assh- mean person," Thalia corrected herself when she remembered there were old foggies in the room.

"Hug?"

"In your dreams," Thalia said, but she stuck out her hand. Chuckling he shook her hand.

"Baby steps," he commented. Thalia shrugged.

"That's as far as the friendship goes," she said. Leo raised his hands. "See you around," she said. But before she left, she looked at Hazel. "Thanks." Hazel smiled and nodded. She left the home quickly, feeling like a small weight had been lifted off her shoulders and a secret deep in her pocket.

She now knew a secret that could ruin Cindy's façade. She wouldn't use it just to create chaos, but it was almost like a kind of security. She would keep it. She would let Cindy continue with her fake life, but she would keep the balance of her popularity in her fingertips. Thalia took a deep breath. If there was one thing Thalia was proud of, it was the fact no one could make or break her, because she was Thalia Grace: Badass Supreme.

* * *

First of all: I didn't break my word! I didn't make any promises! :( I tried to get that chapter uploaded before vacation and believe me, I wrote the chapter 3 times and it didn't work. I wasn't gonna give you a crappy chappie to get it over with . And I would upload more chapters at once, but because I left the story for so long, I can't remember what I had planned next, so now I need to do that... XD

This chapter isn't as long as most and probably not as good, and I'm sorry about that /.\ But I have a lot going on and I'm worried the stress is leaking into my writing. So be honest, and tell me what you guys think? Until next chapter :)


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